There are hundreds of different VPN services on the market that provide an extra layer of online privacy by encrypting all data sent and received by users. Some, however, believe that traditional services could do more to preserve user privacy, by hiding browsing activity from the VPN provider itself, as well as from the user's Internet Service Provider (ISP). To learn more, TechRadar Pro spoke with Dr. Steven Waterhouse, CEO of Orchid, a VPN company that uses blockchain technology to provide an added measure of anonymity.
Why use blockchain for a VPN? Aren't VPNs Secure Enough Already?
Traditional VPNs still centrally route data through their servers, which means they themselves have visibility into their users' online activity. If they are hacked or leaked, your traffic is at risk. Orchid's blockchain-based solution allows users to combine VPN providers and set up multiple 'hops', so that no one provider can see the big picture. In the event that a given VPN server was hacked, only a trace of data would be exposed. Orchid's blockchain component is also used to trick VPN providers into making sure the network has enough bandwidth.It's not a traditional VPN and it's not exactly Tor, so what is the Orchid protocol?
The Orchid software is designed to use a custom VPN protocol, similar in scope to OpenVPN or WireGuard. The Orchid protocol is designed for high-performance networks and runs on WebRTC, a widely used common web standard for streaming video and audio from internal browsers. Our protocol allows users to request access to remote network resources and pay for these resources using OXT through the nano Orchid payment system.What is the probabilistic nanopayment system? Doesn't it add another layer of complexity in terms of usability of the service?
In fact, nanopayments are designed to make the network more efficient. Probabilistic nanopayments are one way to incentivize bandwidth providers. When you access the Orchid network, your OXT wallet is billed based on the number of packages you consume. This payment is bundled with many other payments and each bandwidth provider receives what is essentially a lottery ticket to win this OXT jackpot. This reduces congestion on the blockchain because Orchid does not issue millions of small payments and incur many Ethereum transaction fees, but rather issues ever larger payments to bandwidth providers. Over time, the compensation paid to providers is closer to what would have been using the much more saturated payment methodology. When it comes to usability, from a user perspective, the service works like any other pay-as-you-go VPN: you can sign up and start using Orchid with nothing more than a regular credit card.It says Orchid can work in countries where traditional VPNs can't. Like this?
Many countries have banned VPNs and the IP addresses associated with them. Using Orchid allows people in these countries to access a growing list of unbanned IP addresses by "hopping" between bandwidth providers. If they find a banned IP address, they can simply "hop" to the next one until they find one that works.What types of overhead are associated with using Orchid?
To use Orchid, all you need to do is download the application and purchase credits with a regular credit card to access the network. You can also link an existing crypto wallet and buy the necessary OXT to access Orchid from any major crypto exchange. You do not need to provide an email address, create a username, or provide personal information. So little or no overhead is required. All you need is the ability to download the app and process a payment through Apple or link an existing crypto wallet.Is Orchid only for individuals or can it also be used by entire companies?
Anyone can use Orchid! The service is designed to be used by everyone from individuals to large companies.Is using blacklists and whitelists on proxy routers a lot like censorship?
The Orchid client calls an "organized list" function on the chain that filters viable nodes in Orchid (that is, nodes that are correctly seated) into a custom subset. Initial releases of the official Orchid client will use this functionality to prevent certain types of malicious exit node attacks (for example, SSL degradation attacks) by using a default list of trusted VPN partners. In general, the organized lists are a federated reputation solution for determining which Orchid VPN providers you can trust. The system is fully programmable, exists in a chain, and is Turing complete. The list function can take information as an argument and then use that information to determine, for a given Orchid node, whether or not to connect to that node. Custom Orchid clients can use their own lists, the official Orchid client can choose from different lists, and ultimately we expect well-known third parties to emerge as curators. Since this system is on-chain, an entity like a DAO could also manage a list. The organized list mechanism is a way of importing external reputation trust to complement the economic incentive-based trust provided by node participation.- Here is our list of the best proxy service services.