Sentinel
Reno, US · Founded 2016 · Nevada LLC · 12 known investors
Sentinel is a blockchain-based protocol and SDK for building decentralized VPNs, where node discovery, sessions, payments, and bandwidth run on-chain across a network of independent node operators. It provides a white-label stack for developers to launch branded dVPN applications and for operators to host nodes and earn bandwidth rewards.
Also known as Sentinel dVPN · Sentinel Hub · Sentinel P2P
Founders & leadership
Investors · 12
Also in the syndicate · 2
Funding
SEC filings, press & company announcements$1.5M disclosed across 1 of 4 rounds · 2016–2025
- Undisclosed amountSeries BJun 2025Source ↗
▶$1.5MraisedSep 2018 · 13 investors · ResidentialRule 506(c)
- Greg HughesExecutive Officer, Director
- Steve SixberryExecutive Officer, Director
- Amount sold
- $1.5M
- Minimum investment
- $100K
- First sale
- Sep 2016
- Incorporated
- Limited Liability Company, Nevada, 2016
- Federal exemptions
- 06c
Source: SEC EDGAR Form D. Amounts as filed; amended filings shown once at their latest values.
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Sentinel is a peer-to-peer networking protocol and software development kit for building decentralized VPN (dVPN) applications. Node discovery, session authorization, payments and governance are handled on-chain rather than by a company-operated backend: the Sentinel Hub, built on the Cosmos SDK, records nodes, sessions and accounts, and validators verify sessions, subscription plans and payouts. Discovery is performed through an on-chain distributed hash table that the company describes as requiring no bootstrap nodes and no central servers, so any client can join with only an RPC endpoint.
A typical connection follows four steps: a direct HTTPS probe to a node's remote address returns live status (protocol type, peer count, location, bandwidth); a signed transaction creates an immutable on-chain session record; the node queries the chain to verify the session before issuing VPN credentials; and an encrypted tunnel is established directly between client and node using WireGuard (Curve25519) or V2Ray (VLESS/VMess). Bandwidth is supplied by independent operators, and wallets pay node operators directly on-chain in P2P, Sentinel's native token, with nodes selectable by country, price or protocol.
The stack — SDKs, protocol session layer, chain and node software — is open source. Official SDKs are published in JavaScript, C#/.NET, Go and Swift, targeting iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux, web, TV and server environments, and builders can integrate their own payment rails including card processors, Apple Pay and Google Pay, or grant free access under conditional triggers.
Business model
Sentinel supplies the protocol, chain and open-source SDK layer that third parties use to launch branded dVPN applications, while independent operators contribute bandwidth from their own servers. The company positions the network itself — validators for compute, operators for bandwidth, on-chain settlement for payments — as the backend for application builders, who own their brand and distribution.
Payments for VPN bandwidth flow on-chain from user wallets directly to node operators, denominated in P2P, Sentinel's native token. Application builders can additionally charge end users through any payment rails they choose, including credit and debit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay, or authorize free access under conditional triggers.
Traction
The company reports 1,418,375 people using dVPN apps built on Sentinel, 8+ dApps built on the protocol, more than 1,500 peer-to-peer bandwidth providers and over 6 petabytes of data consumed. Applications built on the network include Independent VPN, Ryn VPN (described as having a user base of over 10 million people), Sentinel Shield (the flagship open-source dVPN by Sentinel P2P), DVPN by NORSE, VALT and MeileVPN, spanning Android, iOS, macOS, Linux and Windows.
Latest developments
The network is presented as operating at scale, with real-time transaction, validator and global node map dashboards, network statistics, four official SDKs and platform-specific client guidance for iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux, web, TV and server deployments.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography
Market position
Sentinel positions itself against centralized VPN providers, arguing that a single operator controls every server and key, that "no-log" is a legal rather than technical guarantee, that proprietary server software is unauditable, and that a single provider is subject to subpoenas, gag orders and policy changes after acquisition. It describes itself as the only open-source, decentralized framework on which to build a VPN application, exposing both application-side and server-side code.
The company's stated differentiators are that no single entity can compromise or log traffic, that traffic routes directly to a chosen node without a relay layer, that session authorization is cryptographic and on-chain rather than corporate, that the protocol is governed by validators rather than a board, and that every layer of the stack — node software, client, protocol and SDK — is open source and forkable.
Technology
The Sentinel Hub is a blockchain built on the Cosmos SDK that stores node, session and account state, provides finality, Sybil resistance and governance, and is secured by validators. Tunnels use WireGuard (Curve25519) or V2Ray (VMess/VLESS) end-to-end, with keys held on the user's device. An on-chain DHT handles discovery without bootstrap nodes. Client libraries are available in JavaScript, C#, Go and Swift, and node software, protocol, chain and SDKs are all published as open source, totalling 41,000+ lines of open code.
Go-to-market
Sentinel addresses three audiences directly from its site — end users who download a dVPN app, developers who build one using the SDK, and operators who host a node — and distributes documentation, SDKs and source code via GitHub. A plan manager lets builders pay for and add nodes to their subscription plan, filtering by country and encryption protocol. The P2P token is listed for purchase on MEXC and KuCoin spot markets and can be swapped on-chain via Osmosis and Skip Go.
Developers and companies wanting to ship white-label or branded VPN applications across mobile, desktop, browser, TV and server platforms; server operators who host dVPN nodes and are paid for bandwidth; and end users of the consumer dVPN apps built on the network.
Geography
Bandwidth is contributed by independent operators in 70+ countries, with 1,500+ servers spanning 90+ countries across six continents; listed locations include the United States, Japan, Germany, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands, Singapore and Switzerland.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Competitors · 7
by search overlap
Companies competing with Sentinel for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.
Legal entities · 1
corporate structureIn the news
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Sentinelsentinel.co · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Sentinel do?
- Sentinel is an open-source blockchain protocol and SDK for building decentralized VPN applications on a peer-to-peer bandwidth network.
- Who are Sentinel's investors?
- Sentinel's investors include Advanced Blockchain, Amentum Investment Management, Genblock Capital, Woodstock Fund, Intel Capital, Scottish Enterprise, SFC Capital, Shasta Ventures and 2 more.
- How much funding has Sentinel raised?
- Sentinel has disclosed $1.5M raised across 1 of its 4 known rounds.
- Where is Sentinel headquartered?
- Sentinel is headquartered in Reno, US.