Operator track

Bonding

An initial amount of min 100NYM tokens that a node operators must float as a commitment - in order to be recognised by the mixnet.

Delegating stake

NYM holders can ‘delegate’ tokens to any node operators they like, signalling the node’s reputation of high quality performance and operator ethos. This is both a vote of confidence in that mix node, and a way for token holders to receive rewards - because when operators receive rewards, delegators get a share of those rewards too.

Stake saturation

The maximum amount of tokens that can be delegated to any node. When a node reaches its stake saturation point, it’s full - and delegating any further tokens won’t lead to additional rewards.

This is designed to encourage decentralisation and the creation of new mix nodes.

Epoch

Every hour, the mixnet system picks a set of nodes for active mixes. This time period is called the ‘epoch’. Nodes with more NYM tokens delegated to them - and therefore higher community confidence - will be more likely to be picked for the ‘active set’ for that given epoch.

Project smoosh

An initiative to simplify the mixnet infrastructure by combining the different node types. Mixnodes will be able to also function as gateways and service providers. This will optimise redundancy.

Exit nodes

The final exit point of mixed traffic: the second hop in NymVPN’s ‘vpn mode’, or the fifth hop in the mixnet or ‘mixnet mode’.

Rewards

Both operators and delegators receive rewards in the form of NYM tokens. A greater share of rewards will go to operators who consistently perform good mixes with high uptime. As such, a greater share of rewards also goes to delegators to these nodes.

Parameter updates

Every quarter, new tokens are released during key dates - in something called the ‘vesting schedule’. This impacts the circulation of tokens in the Nym ecosystem, and as such, adjustments might be made to the ‘stake saturation’ point to accommodate any changes in the economics. All of these metrics are then shared in ‘parameter updates’.