NymVPN launches ZK payment system with token buyback

Privacy-centric firm Nym, backed by a16z and other investors, has launched its zero-knowledge powered payment system and introduced a perpetual token buyback model.

The decentralized technology provider’s DePIN payments system and token buyback are now live for public testing. Specifically, NymVPN, first introduced in November 2023, will launch commercially on March 13, 2025. 

Ahead of the public rollout, users will have the opportunity to battle-test the payment mechanism,, the NymVPN team said in an announcement. 

When it goes live, subscribers will be able to pay in fiat such as euros and dollars, or in Bitcoin (BTC). The project also supports payments with the native NYM token. Nym will convert all fiat and crypto payments for NymVPN subscription to the native token NYM, with the perpetual buyback set to create a “flywheel” reflecting market demand.

“The launch of NYM activated the supply-side of privacy and created a network of over a thousand nodes. Today we are activating the demand side, allowing ordinary users to pay in fiat and Bitcoin for NymVPN. Their payment is then converted to NYM token buy-orders to keep the network running,” the Nym CEO added.

With global need for privacy solutions and VPN adoption on the rise amid increased security and censorship, Nym’s layer-0 network offers both the anonymity and safety users need. Meanwhile, buyback means subscriptions will help create consistent buy pressure for the NYM token.

NYM, which launched in 2022, is a token designed to reward the Nym ecosystem’s mixnet node operators. According to Harry Halpin, chief executive officer of Nym, the token is key to the project’s goal of delivering a privacy-focused decentralized network.

The launch of the DePIN payment system and the NYM token repurchases brings the project’s crypto-economics “full circle.” It allows NYM’s use in tokenization and in rewards, providing further incentive for the community.

“Just like everyone should enjoy clean water and electricity, people deserve secure and private communication,” Jaya Brekke, chief strategy officer at Nym, said. “This is not speculative, but a growing real world need. And with the launch of the perpetual buyback mechanism, the token can shift out of a speculative promise to instead signal such real world demand.”