Exidio Launches Decentralized VPN App Allowing Users to Mine Bandwidth

Exidio is launching a decentralized virtual private network (dVPN) app that encrypts a user’s data on the go and allows them to earn passive income by offering node hosting and excess bandwidth. The apps are available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

“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,” said Exidio co-founder and CEO Dan Edlebeck in an interview with CoinDesk. “And anyone that’s connected to the VPN network is actually getting a provably encrypted connection because there’s no middleman.”

The apps are built on the Sentinel network, a peer-to-peer bandwidth marketplace that went live earlier this year on the Cosmos blockchain ecosystem. Developers can use the network to build dVPN applications that tap into the Sentinel marketplace.

Users can make payments via DVPN, the native cryptocurrency of the Sentinel network, or with a debit or credit card. The pay-as-you-go pricing ranges from $1.99 to $19.99 depending on bandwidth needs.

Exidio’s future plans include launching desktop applications and a supply side-focused app that allows users to offer bandwidth and start earning income, Edlebeck told CoinDesk. There’s also a plan to launch a hardware router for easily offering excess bandwidth.

CORRECTION (Dec. 15, 16:51 UTC): Corrects quote from Edlebeck in second paragraph to “the same benefits of centralized VPN,” not decentralized VPN.