Mysterium Network

What Mysterium Network does

Mysterium Network is a decentralized VPN (dVPN) protocol and ecosystem developed by BlockDev AG, a Swiss entity headquartered in Zug. The platform enables a peer-to-peer marketplace where node runners contribute residential IP bandwidth in exchange for MYST token payments, and end users consume encrypted VPN and proxy services across 135+ countries. Core technology consists of a globally distributed network of 22,000+ nodes running on consumer hardware (Mac, Linux, Windows, Raspberry Pi, and OEM devices from partners like Avado and Dappnode), with settlement on Ethereum and Polygon Layer 2 to enable low-cost micropayments via the proprietary Hermes system.

The company has evolved from a single consumer dVPN product into a multi-product ecosystem branded Mysterium 2.0, which includes the Mysterium VPN app, the MystNodes operator platform, Lavafy (a Network-as-a-Service for B2B clients), enterprise proxy and data scraping services, the MYST utility token, a Delegation Pool for staking, and developer tooling (TequilAPI and Mobile SDK). Customer segments span individual privacy-conscious consumers, node runners earning passive income, B2B commercial VPN and proxy providers (8 disclosed Lavafy integrations), and developers building censorship-resistant applications. Revenue mechanics are predominantly pay-as-you-go, usage-based microtransactions denominated in MYST or DAI, supplemented by B2B NaaS contracts; the entity does not publicly disclose revenue.

The organization is small (11-50 employees), privately held, founded in 2017, and led by founders Robertas Visinskis and Valdas Petrulis with a lean CXO team. The only disclosed funding round is a $16M raise from KR1 in May 2017, and subsequent operations appear to be sustained through the token economy and ecosystem partnerships rather than venture capital.

Name

Mysterium Network

Legal name

BlockDev AG

Website

https://mysterium.network/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mysterium Network is a decentralized VPN protocol operated by BlockDev AG in Zug, Switzerland, enabling a peer-to-peer marketplace where 22,000+ node runners sell residential IP bandwidth to consumers and B2B VPN/proxy clients in exchange for MYST token payments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Decentralized VPN (dVPN) / Privacy Networking Software

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182), Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths) (561621)

SIC

Computer Communications Equipment (3576), Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Decentralized Bandwidth & Connectivity (bandwidth marketplaces, VPN, ISP/last-mile DePIN) (FSAPALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Decentralized Node Infrastructure & RPC Networks (node providers, RPC relays, indexing-as-a-service) (FSAPALAG), VPN & Remote Access Gateways (HDADABAD)

Keywords

• Decentralized VPN
• Peer-to-peer networking
• Residential proxy services
• Blockchain bandwidth marketplace
• Network-as-a-service

Headquarters

HQ city

Zug

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. P2P Bandwidth Sales: Node runners sell their bandwidth/IP access to users worldwide. Users pay per megabyte or per minute for VPN/proxy services. Node runners receive payments in MYST tokens or DAI stablecoin. The network facilitates trustless P2P transactions with no intermediary taking a cut.
2. B2B VPN & Proxy Services (Lavafy): Commercial VPN and proxy businesses connect to Mysterium's node network via Lavafy (Network-as-a-Service). Eight projects already connected including five commercial VPNs and three proxy services. Provides residential IPs at scale for enterprise use cases.
3. Delegation Pool Staking: MYST token holders can delegate tokens to the Delegation Pool and earn rewards. Node runners who don't have enough MYST can rent tokens from the pool for a fee. Revenue comes from staking yields generated by network activity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Mysterium Network operates a decentralized VPN (dVPN) ecosystem where individuals run nodes and sell their unused bandwidth and residential IP addresses to users worldwide in exchange for MYST tokens or DAI. The platform includes a consumer-facing VPN application (Mysterium VPN), a node-runner portal (MystNodes), developer APIs and SDKs (TequilAPI, Mobile SDK), and a B2B Network-as-a-Service offering (Lavafy) that supplies residential IPs to commercial VPN and proxy providers.

Product overview

Mysterium Network is a decentralized VPN ecosystem that has evolved from a single dVPN product into a comprehensive platform architecture. The ecosystem consists of: the core consumer-facing Mysterium VPN app for anonymous internet access; the MystNodes platform for node runners to earn by sharing bandwidth; Lavafy, a Network-as-a-Service offering for B2B clients including commercial VPNs and proxy services; a Proxy & Data Scraping solution for enterprise data needs; the MYST native utility token powering peer-to-peer transactions with a Delegation Pool for staking rewards; TequilAPI and Mobile SDK for developer integration; and Necto Labs for R&D and ecosystem growth. This platform-plus-modules architecture enables the network to serve both consumer VPN users and B2B partners while rewarding node operators and token holders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mysterium VPN: World's first true residential IP VPN for a borderless internet experience.
• MYST
• MystNodes
• Lavafy
• Necto Labs

Products and services

• Mysterium VPN A decentralized VPN (dVPN) application for Mac, Windows, Linux, and Android that provides censorship-resistant, anonymous internet access powered by a peer-to-peer network of residential IP addresses. Targeted at privacy-conscious consumers and users in censored regions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 67,000 daily active sessions across 135+ countries
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AvadocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAvado provides plug-and-play hardware devices for home and cloud staking. Their node-running software makes it easy for users to help power multiple networks and earn crypto. Avado box connects users to Mysterium's decentralized VPN network, handling CPU and disk-intensive aspects of node running. Annual operational cost is approximately $50 per year.
• DappnodecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-term hardware partner that takes care of technical stuff so anyone can run a node and access rewards. Individuals power Web3 through Dappnode's pre-configured hardware.
• NebraminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHelium hotspot integration partner. Nebra's hotspots can integrate with MystNodes to unlock dual earning rewards, making Helium hotspots work harder and smarter with native MYST rewards.
• PolygoncoreTechnology or IntegrationPolygon (formerly Matic) provides Layer 2 scaling solution for Mysterium's P2P payments. Integration enables nearly instant and gas-less transactions. Polygon blocks are mined faster with no gas price surges, making registrations and withdrawals cheaper and faster.
• PARSIQ (IQ Protocol)coreTechnology or IntegrationPARSIQ developed the IQ Protocol, the world's first risk-free collateral-less DeFi protocol for tokenizing SaaS subscriptions. Mysterium is the first project to integrate IQ Protocol, powering the Delegation Pool for staking and token renting.
• GoProxiesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal proxy network helping companies unleash the power of data for business insights, analytics and research. An ethical proxy network built on Mysterium's decentralized infrastructure.
• Mysterium VPNcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWorld's first true residential IP VPN created for a borderless internet. Consumer-facing dVPN application available for Mac, Windows, Linux and Android.
• Portals VPNminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBuilt-in 'no logs' policy VPN. While other VPNs claim they don't spy on users, Portals VPN makes it impossible through Mysterium's decentralized architecture.
• StorjminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStorj DCS is the world's first cloud storage network. Partnership highlights Mysterium's role in the broader Web3 ecosystem of decentralized infrastructure.
• Sentinel (dVPN Alliance)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeb3 projects Mysterium Network and Sentinel launched an alliance to protect online users from personal data exploitation. Alliance aims to combine strengths in decentralized VPN space.
• KryptexminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCryptocurrency generation platform using GPU, CPU, or network card. Users can monetize computing and networking power of their PC.
• CrankkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributed network built on Kadena's Proof of Work Network. Decentralized IoT network utilizing Proof-of-Network-Participation (PoNP) for LoRaWAN gateway nodes.
• Lavafy (NaaS)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerMysterium's Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) business for B2B clients. Eight projects connected including five commercial VPNs and three proxy services. Bridges Web3 solutions with Web2 users including those uncomfortable with cryptocurrencies.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Tailscale: Modern mesh-VPN built on WireGuard targeting developers, SMBs, and enterprise zero-trust networking. Different buyer (teams vs privacy consumers) but competing for VPN/protected-connectivity budgets and demonstrating alternative decentralized approaches.
• Tachyon (V2-VDN): Decentralized VPN protocol using blockchain-incentivized nodes, conceptually similar to Mysterium but earlier-stage and with a more limited geographic node footprint.

Broad incumbents

• ProtonVPN: Privacy-focused VPN from Proton AG operating owned infrastructure. Competes with Mysterium on privacy positioning but lacks the decentralized, no-logs-by-architecture angle and is part of a broader Proton ecosystem (Mail, Drive, Calendar).
• Mullvad VPN: Privacy-purist VPN based in Sweden known for anonymous accounts and no-logs policy. Closest centralized-VPN peer on philosophy (no email, no logs), though still reliant on owned servers.
• IVPN: Independent, privacy-focused VPN provider using owned infrastructure and an audited no-logs policy. Smaller competitor that overlaps with Mysterium's privacy-consumer segment but lacks tokenized incentive layer.
• ExpressVPN (Kape Technologies): Premium consumer VPN brand now part of Kape Technologies' privacy portfolio. Competes on speed and brand trust; centralized infrastructure contrasts directly with Mysterium's decentralized architecture.

Direct peers

• Sentinel: Decentralized VPN protocol competing head-to-head with Mysterium in the dVPN category, offering its own bandwidth marketplace and node-runner incentives. Mysterium and Sentinel have even formed a dVPN Alliance, underscoring direct overlap.
• Orchid: Decentralized VPN and privacy network built on a peer-to-peer bandwidth marketplace using OXT token. Targets the same privacy-conscious consumer and censorship-circumvention segments as Mysterium with comparable provider/consumer model.
• HOPR: Web3 mixnet providing privacy-preserving, decentralized networking including VPN-style use cases. Overlaps with Mysterium on decentralized infrastructure for privacy and anonymous routing, though with a stronger mixnet rather than pure bandwidth-marketplace angle.

Others

• Nord Security (NordVPN): Owner of NordVPN, one of the largest consumer VPN brands globally. Direct competitor on consumer VPN demand but uses centralized servers; relevant for sizing Mysterium's addressable market and competitive pressure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MysteriumNet
• GitHubgithub.com/MysteriumNetwork
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCBxzWnZEHvuj-nfP00YImHQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/MysteriumNet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paulius-mozuras-82b0027

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mysterium Network