Sprint to launch: Nov. 1 dev update

Weekly progress on the NymVPN and Nym network

Author: Nym

November 1, 20243 mins read

The Nym dev team here for our weekly roundup of achievements, progress, and things still simmering: bug and leak fixes, app and network improvements, and readying the zk-nym infrastructure for payments.

But don’t miss the forest for the trees: here are the big milestones the team is moving toward on its timeline for NymVPN finishing out 2024:

November, 2024: The newest release of NymVPN Beta with the launch of zk-nyms anonymous credentials
December, 2024: Early bird launch of NymVPN with payments

In the meantime, NymVPN Beta is still open and free to use, so sign up today for an instant credential if you haven’t tried it yet!

NymVPN

The big focus this week has been preparing November’s stable release of NymVPN so it is as secure and seamless as possible when it arrives in community members’ hands.

Easy access to test credentials

The lengthy steps to get new credentials have been removed. Now you can simply enter your email address and instantly receive a free 30-day access voucher.

Connectivity improvements

The devs have made app connectivity improvements for a smoother and more reliable connection experience. This has been done via multiple bug fixes and the implementation of a more robust state machine.

Linux app on Flathub

For Linux users, the NymVPN app is available in Flathub with more platforms to follow.

macOS 15 Sequoia compatibility

NymVPN is now fully compatible with the latest macOS version, v15.

New exit locations

NymVPN now offers to exit in the following locations:

Anonymous Mode: Australia, China mainland
Fast Mode: Bahrain, China mainland, Switzerland, Vietnam

The Nym Network

The main focus this week has been to ensure a top performing decentralized network that services the NymVPN client and any future usage.

Performance: Network Monitor v2

The Network Monitor is a method for measuring the reliability of nodes by testing multiple paths through the network. So far, the network monitor has been measuring 5-hop mixnet performance. This week, core devs have begun the work of adding 2-hop WireGuard performance scores.

Performance: Node status API

Work is continuing on the node status API. This is an API to ensure that the NymVPN client is continually up to date on which gateways are live, connected, and performative so that users can connect without experiencing connectivity issues.

Rewards: Validator rewards for issuing zk-nyms

Nyx validators are rewarded for running the blockchain that hosts the Nym mixnet smart contract. But their role is about to expand to also issue zk-nyms: the anonymous credentials that enable privacy preserving payments for NymVPN users. The Nym core dev team has started work this week to enable validator rewards for issuing zk-nym ticketbooks.

Read Nym’s recent deepdive into the NYM token flow, and stay tuned for a follow up explaining how zk-nyms work!