#1
Nym
Swiss mixnet/VPN project: NymVPN offers a 5-hop metadata-private mode and a faster 2-hop mode from $4.00/month (annual), plus NYM rewards for node operators.
no KYC
from $4 per month min $4
dVPN and bandwidth networks compared on the token loop
Sell idle bandwidth or route traffic through a decentralized VPN.
Short answer: On a bandwidth network the yield question comes before the privacy question. If emissions outgrow real demand, the rate card is a faucet - test exit-node terms and payout triggers before routing traffic through it.
providers on this page: 9 · status active: 100% · facts verified by us: 100% · publish independent proof: 0%
quick picks
- Most mature multi-hop dVPN pool Mysterium Network - largest residential exit pool with a documented payment loop
- Ecosystem framework with multiple networks Sentinel (dVPN) - bandwidth marketplace framework with multiple client networks
- Probabilistic per-hop payments Orchid - nanopayment routing with published documentation
- Bandwidth resale incentives Grass - token incentive on the demand side
#2
Helium IoT
Community-run LoRaWAN IoT network: hotspots earn HNT for coverage, device traffic is paid in USD-pegged Data Credits (1 DC = $0.00001).
no KYC
price on request min $0.500
#3
Sentinel (dVPN)
Cosmos-based layer-1 bandwidth marketplace: dVPNs from $0.033/day in USDC on Base, no KYC/accounts, with node hosts keeping 80% and 20% going to P2P stakers.
no KYC
from $0.033 per day min $0.033
#4
Helium Mobile
US consumer mobile service (Air $15/mo, Infinity $30/mo) on a hybrid Helium Hotspot + national 5G network, run by Affiniti Ventures; network operators earn HNT for carrier offload.
from $15 per month min $15
#5
Mysterium Network
Long-running dVPN / residential-bandwidth network: node operators earn MYST per GB on Polygon, consumers buy a residential-IP VPN subscription from a separate Lithuanian entity.
no KYC
from $2.59 per month min $2.59
#6
Deeper Network
Hardware DPN/VPN routers (one-time $299-$424) that share idle bandwidth to mine DPR, advertised with lifetime $0 subscription.
no KYC
from $299 per device (one-time hardware purchase) min $299
#7
Grass
Free app that shares idle residential bandwidth; businesses buy verified web-data access and contributors earn GRASS or USDC.
no KYC
price on request
#8
Orchid
Delaware C-Corp's pay-per-use bandwidth marketplace and VPN: stake-weighted provider selection, OXT nanopayments, no subscription, and a candid FAQ that privacy is not absolute.
no KYC
price on request min $0.990
#9
Hivemapper
Solana-based crowdsourced street-level mapping network (Bee dashcam membership $19/mo, 24-month); map data sold per $0.0075 Map Credit, rewards moved from HONEY to USDC in Aug 2026.
from $19 per month min $19
A decentralized VPN has two products stacked in one box: a tunnel and a token. They get evaluated differently, and the ranking above keeps them separate - because a network can be a genuinely good tunnel with an unrewarding node economy, or the reverse. Follow the token loop first; the traffic follows the incentives. Read this page in one direction only: from money to mechanics, never from mechanics to hope.
The token loop: follow who funds the yield
Every network answers one question differently: who actually pays for the bandwidth?
- Real demand - users pay per GB, node operators earn per GB. Healthy and boring; yields track usage, not emissions [1].
- Emission-funded yield - nodes earn token rewards on a schedule regardless of demand. The yield is denominated in a token the network prints; the sink is future token buyers [1].
- Resale models - aggregated residential bandwidth sold to scrapers and AI collectors. Real demand, different legal surface - read the acceptable-use clause before connecting your home IP to anyone's network [5].
The honest test: divide the network's token emissions by its actual usage. Where emissions dominate, the yield is a schedule, not a market. Our community-owned hub covers what governance does to that equation.
Exit nodes: the liability you did not read
Running an exit node is legally different from running a relay:
- What exits through you - residential exit means other people's traffic leaves from your IP. Abuse on your exit is a knock on your door, not theirs [2].
- KYC on payout - node rewards frequently trigger KYC at payout thresholds, the same pattern as in the no-KYC hub. Check the trigger before accumulating.
- Hardware reality. A Raspberry Pi runs a relay; a credible exit needs bandwidth, uptime, and a clean IP reputation. Compute your realistic GB/month and price the yield at that number - not the whitepaper's [2].
- Payout minimums. Reward thresholds that exceed a realistic month of earnings are the quiet value leak of this vertical - the same arithmetic as mining payout thresholds in the mining hub.
| Provider | From | Unit | KYC | Proof | Verification | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nym | $4 per month | per month | none | partial | n/a | 6.8 |
| Helium IoT | n/a | none | partial | n/a | 6.6 | |
| Sentinel (dVPN) | $0.033 per day | per day | none | partial | n/a | 6.4 |
| Helium Mobile | $15 per month | per month | required | partial | n/a | 6.2 |
| Mysterium Network | $2.59 per month | per month | none | partial | n/a | 6.2 |
| Deeper Network | $299 per device (one-time hardware purchase) | per device (one-time hardware purchase) | none | partial | n/a | 5.9 |
| Grass | n/a | none | partial | n/a | 5.8 | |
| Orchid | n/a | none | partial | n/a | 5.8 | |
| Hivemapper | $19 per month | per month | unknown | partial | n/a | 5.7 |
Live from our database - caveats and sources in each linked review.
Privacy architecture: what each hop buys
- Two-hop tunnels (Mysterium-style) - fast, cheap, privacy between you and the exit. Trust the exit for endpoint anonymity [1].
- Multi-hop with probabilistic payments (Orchid-style) - stronger unlinkability, higher overhead [3].
- Marketplace exits - you choose exits by reputation; the quality spread is wide and churn is real. Route mission-critical traffic accordingly.
If your threat model needs anonymity rather than censorship resistance, layered design beats any single network - a dVPN is a tool in a toolkit, not a full replacement for a commercial VPN with audited infrastructure. Of the 9 networks on this page, 78% still let you run a node and collect without identity checks - the smaller that number gets over time, the more the exit test matters.
How to evaluate a bandwidth network
Four checks, in this order:
- Emissions versus usage - if the schedule outgrows the GB, the yield is a countdown [1].
- Payout trigger - the KYC threshold in the ToS, before accumulation, not after.
- Exit policy on your IP - what happens when an exit you run gets abused. The documented answer beats the documented silence.
- The exit test - cash out a small reward early. The payout rail is the truth; the rate card is marketing.
For context on where these networks sit against the wider infrastructure market: the rpc hub covers the endpoint side of the same "decentralized infrastructure" promise, and the staking hub prices the token-side risk you inherit when a network's economics ride emissions. The same arithmetic applies in both places.
Our archive keeps 1 operators from this vertical on record - most of them failed on the token side of the box, not the tunnel side. That is the pattern worth learning from before you connect anything.
Where the actual rates sit
The [rate column in the table](#) prices the token at its current market; the honest yield number is that times whatever the token does. Two structural notes:
- Stablecoin rails clear at predictable rates. Networks paying in stablecoins or bridged value give you a real rate card; token-only rails give you volatility [4]. 78% of this page's population documents crypto rails at all - the rest assume you already hold the right token.
- Data-credit models (Helium-style) burn tokens for actual data - the burn anchors usage to demand, which is the healthiest emission pattern in this vertical [4].
If the rate depends on a token you would not hold, treat the whole offer as a token trade with extra steps - and price it in the legit check before connecting hardware.
// Sources
- Mysterium Network - accessed 2026-10-01
- Sentinel - accessed 2026-10-01
- Orchid - accessed 2026-10-01
- Helium data credits - accessed 2026-10-01
- Grass - accessed 2026-10-01
- Deeper Network shop - accessed 2026-10-01
- our change log - accessed 2026-10-01
- our methodology page - accessed 2026-10-01
// FAQ
Who actually pays for the bandwidth on a dVPN network?
Three models exist - users paying per GB (real demand), emission-funded node rewards (a schedule, not a market), and resale models where aggregated bandwidth is sold to scrapers and AI collectors. Divide emissions by usage and the faucet becomes visible.
What is exit-node liability in practice?
Other people's traffic leaves from your IP. Abuse on your exit is your problem - read the acceptable-use clause before connecting your home IP to anything, and prefer providers that document the policy.
When does node payout trigger KYC?
At thresholds that move with regulation - the trigger lives in the ToS. Check the payout trigger before accumulating rewards, not after.
Is a two-hop tunnel anonymous?
No. Two hops protect the tunnel; the exit sees the endpoint. If your threat model needs unlinkability, layered multi-hop design beats any single network.
Do emission-funded yields actually hold?
Only while emissions grow slower than demand. Where emissions dominate, the quoted yield is a schedule, not a market - price it at that number, not the whitepaper's.
What breaks residential resale models?
The acceptable-use clause. Resale models that sell your home IP to scrapers put your address on someone else's legal surface - read the clause before connecting.
How do multi-hop payments work?
Per-hop nanopayments - each hop gets paid per packet or probabilistically. Stronger unlinkability, higher overhead. Route mission-critical traffic on the design that matches your threat model.
Do dVPNs replace commercial VPNs?
No. A dVPN is a tool in a toolkit - censorship resistance and exit diversity are real strengths, but audited commercial infrastructure still wins for pure privacy.
What should I test before routing production traffic?
Exit-node churn, payout rails, and the abuse policy on your exit IP. Mission-critical routes deserve bonded nodes, not marketplace churn.
Does payment coin change the rate?
On headline rarely, but the rail matters: stablecoin tunnels clear at predictable rates, token-only models move with volatility. For regular use, the rail matters more than a small rate difference.