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New Decentralised VPN Gives Users Power to ‘bandwidth mine’
By
Will Ellis
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Last Updated on January 2, 2024
Exidio launched on Android/iOS, new decentralised VPN.
Exidio’s mobile app has been released; the decentralised VPN (dVPN) doubles up as a typical encryption tool for traffic coming in and out of Android and iOS smartphones; as well as a streamlined way to auto-make passive income, through mining bandwidth.
Unlike with the traditional model, Exidio VPN gives users the ability to do P2P or “node” hosting so that any standby or extra bandwidth can be used to earn additional income.
By agreeing to TOCs, users turn their devices into network nodes peers can connect to – this seems to be a real trend: we’ve seen it with HolaVPN and its BrightVPN.
Exidio’s CEO Dan Edlebeck said, in a Coinbase interview, centralised VPNs have several key differences from the current model of centralised VPNs, explaining:
“We’re bringing a lot of the same benefits of centralized VPN, but in an open-source, peer-to-peer network where people are offering bandwidth and earning income for offering that resource to the network. And anyone that’s connected to the VPN network is actually getting a provably encrypted connection because there’s no middleman.”
The Sentinel Network
Exido will build its mobile apps inside of the Sentinel network, which is a P2P bandwidth exchange Built on Cosmos’ blockchain, which launched in 2021.
Sentinel’s network lets developers add-on their own dVPN apps which are automatically linked with Sentinel’s market. Users can pay for services using Sentinel’s native digital currency DVPN or using a credit or debit card. (Exido has a PAYG plan that costs between $2 to $20 based on how much bandwidth users require.)
Future desktop app
Exidio will also make a desktop version for its new VPN. And a second app will focus on users who want to lend bandwidth, so they can start making revenue from their platform. Edlebeck adds that he wants to offer a VPN router that simplifies the process for users giving bandwidth to peers.
Closing Thoughts
With the rumour mill spinning out talk about the evolution of decentralised social media (dSM), decentralised cyber real-estate (the metaverse) – plus, unprecedented adoptions of digital cash in 2020 to 2021 – it’s no surprise dVPN’s are also garnering support.
In fact, this has been around for a while (the most popular name being Hola VPN, which was so successful it inspired a second free dVPN). But imho there are still serious security weaknesses we need to address before dVPNs should be widely accepted as private and trustworthy.
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