By Luke Edwards
11 min read
In today’s increasingly online world, it’s never been more important to protect your privacy and security—and that goes double for crypto users.
Virtual private networks, or VPNs, are services that provide an encrypted connection to the internet, shielding your internet protocol (IP) address from prying eyes.
For users transacting in cryptocurrency, VPNs offer an extra layer of security to protect against hacks and phishing attempts that could result in a loss of funds.
In this guide, we’ll explore some of the best VPN options for crypto users, from big name brands to more specialized offerings.
This guide comes from hundreds of hours of testing, across years of evolving VPNs, and looks at features including speed, security, privacy, pricing, user experience, crypto payment options and more to lay out all you need to know.
Details like server number and location are included so you can decide which will best help you where you are. We’ll also look at the VPNs’ ability to actually deliver on claims like privacy and security—and how that's backed up with details like third-party no-logging audits—are also taken into account.
Keep in mind this is an overview of the best VPN for crypto users, so you may want to dive down into specific reviews before deciding which is the ideal pick for you.
Image: NordVPN
NordVPN uses the same AES-256 encryption standard employed by the US military, so you can rest easy knowing the WireGuard and OpenVPN protocol options are both super secure. It's possible to up that by using multi-hop as well as obfuscating your connection, so your use of a VPN can't be detected.
Thanks to a third-party audited no logs policy, and all servers running on RAM-only memory, the privacy that NordVPN offers is up there with the best. The company is based in Panama, so it sits outside of the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes and 14 Eyes surveillance groups, meaning that governments can't demand information—not that NordVPN keeps any that would be of much use.
With a selection of apps for many devices, a quick connect button that smart connects, and the option to pick servers based on specific needs like streaming—NordVPN is super simple to use. Sure, you have more complex options if you need them but for automatic connections this is fantastic.
Thanks to more than 140 server locations in 111 countries, NordVPN offers a truly expansive array of options for connecting internationally, without sacrificing speed or security.
NordVPN offers up to 10 simultaneous connections at once, a high-speed yet secure WireGuard protocol, a kill switch, auto-connect, split tunnelling, and Threat Protection to keep malicious websites and malware at bay.
NordVPN’s pricing sits in the average range, which is good considering that it’s a premium option. That means a single month is $12.99, but you can pay for two years up front and it works out at just $3.79 per month. NordVPN accepts payments via cryptocurrencies, debit cards, PayPal, credit cards and even iTunes and Google Pay options. There’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try before you commit to buy.
Image: ExpressVPN
Thanks to RAM-only servers and some excellent features like DNS leak protection, both AES-256 and ChaCha20 encryption plus a Threat Manager tool, ExpressVPN is super security focused.
ExpressVPN’s British Virgin Islands location means privacy is naturally excellent, and it’s further bolstered by an independently audited no-logs policy—which means the company strictly keeps no data on its users.
A one-click connection and super minimal layout across its apps makes ExpressVPN one of the most user-friendly offerings out there right now. That does mean some more complex features are lacking on some of the apps, but for beginners this is a real winner.
While ExpressVPN won't reveal the exact number of its servers, as these often vary, it does cover a wide area of at least 105 countries. This means you can reliably appear in the country of your choosing no matter where you find yourself—including countries with specific legislation blocking VPNs.
ExpressVPN features a kill switch, dynamic and dedicated IP options, and it uses the Lightway protocol which offers a balance of speed and security. And you can do all that across eight devices at the same time.
Payment can be made using PayPal, BitPay, Bitcoin and an array of other cryptocurrencies, plus online bank transfers, Apple Pay and Google Pay, and (of course) credit and debit cards. Expect to pay $6.67 per month, but you do get a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Image: Proton VPN
Proton VPN covers a lot of security bases with AES-256 and ChaCha20 encryptions, as well as the latest WireGuard protocol tech.
Based in Panama and using a no-logs policy that's third-party audited, Proton VPN has no data on its users at all.
Proton VPN’s Smart Protocol feature, which quick connects based on network connection, is a helpful user-friendly option. Added to this, a quick connect button adds to this makes the VPN very simple to access.
Proton VPN has a whopping 8,300 servers, covering more than 112 countries, making it one of the most expansive offerings out there.
Proton VPN offers a free plan unlike many others, in that it gives you very few limits—making it one of the most comprehensive VPN options you can get without paying anything.
As well as a free version, Proton VPN offers a paid tier with a low price of $3.59 per month, and the ability to pay with crypto.
Image: Mysterium VPN
Thanks to the broad range of nodal network coverage, you can rely on your data being kept secure. The lack of a single point company also makes for a more decentralized data spread, which should keep you more secure (theoretically).
The open-source nature of this VPN means you can see for yourself what is happening, meaning your data is as secure as you need it to be. No more trusting a company to do that for you.
Like any other VPN this is easy to download and set up using Myst coin before you get going. The apps are easy to use too with deeper layers of complexity if you need them.
Featuring a massive 16,000 servers across 135 countries this has a huge span across the world. All that equates to 20,000 IP address options to pick from.
You can use up to six devices simultaneously with unlimited bandwidth.
Option range from $6.85 per month on a six month plan, to a $3.19 per month option if you go for the two-year tier. Payments can be made with cards, PayPal and cryptocurrencies including Myst and Bitcoin.
Image: Orchid
This decentralized VPN uses a stake-weighted algorithm to randomly connect in order to offer the best security and ideal connection.
This uses Onion-routed multi-hop connections meaning your privacy is kept super secure and since no one central business runs your data, that keeps it even more private.
Orchid VPN’s app system makes it easy to use—although it's worth noting that it won't work on Windows and that it uses WebRTC as its protocol.
Since this is decentralized the company says it's not possible to offer exact server numbers or locations. Users report that a lot are often connected via the US.
The use of a VPN client sets this apart from what it essentially is, a Tor-style decentralized network. And it's that simple to use feature which really helps here, offering clarity and control even for beginners. That said, the multi-hop feature is a really helpful option for those that want extra layers of protection.
This is a pay as you go system that uses the OXT token system to buy and sell. This is an ERC-20 token built on Ethereum.
Image: Brave
Thanks to an AES-256 encryption, Brave VPN is military level secure and that's backed by a firewall service that helps protect against tracking, malware and other malicious attempts on your privacy. And the WireGuard protocol means you stay secure while getting maximum speeds.
Unlike other browsers, looking at you Chrome, Brave won't collect your data, for a more private browsing experience, while DNS or IP leaks won’t be a problem with this VPN up and running. Although with a US based location and IP and email address data stored, it's not the most privacy conscious.
Since this is a stand alone VPN and also offers a browser version it means VPN access is simple. This makes for a secure web browsing experience from right within the browser or from a top-button menu.
Brave doesn't share server numbers but it appears to cover 14 countries, with four servers in the US. So not many compared to the competition.
Connections top out at five devices at once. But this does offer apps for many including Windows, Linux, macOS, Android and iOS.
There is a 7-day free trial and then you're looking at a flat rate of $9.99 per month making it pricey for what you get. It only lets you pay via credit cards and stripe but not crypto or PayPal.
nymvpn.com (beta)
Image: Nym
NymVPN offers a unique 5-hop mixnet, which ensures your identity is even more difficult to find than most other VPNs, which offer a 2-hop at best. There is also a 2-hop option, which offers WireGuard speeds, should you need a more low latency connection where security isn't paramount. Thanks to independently run nodes, at over 750 at time of publishing, protection is extremely effective.
NymVPN is, according to its creators, designed to be an NSA-proof level offering—a bold claim, but with that multi-hop system built atop a ZK-powered blockchain, this could be one of the most secure decentralized VPN options out there right now. You get sphinx encryption, metadata is obscured and this uses token-based access for secure connections and privacy setting management options.
NymVPN is a primarily a public VPN meaning that, despite the level of privacy power accessible here, it works as a decentralised VPN that's simple enough to use. That means apps across different devices all designed to integrate and work intuitively. You can expect a kill switch to prevent data leaks in upcoming builds, too.
There are more than 30 countries that you can use NymVPN across, including Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. Plus you have over 110 exit servers to ensure the highest level of resilience.
Thanks to incentivization of server operators, NymVPN is a high-quality offering. Data is protected from analysis with packet shuffling and encryption. There are also zero knowledge payment methods to ensure total anonymity throughout. Apps are available for iOS, Android, Linux, macOS and Windows.
At time of publishing the NymVPN is in beta, and you can download and try the app for free. Sign up and you get 30 days for free via an access code sent to your email.
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