When you use centralized VPN applications like Mullvadnet or Obscuravpn, you are putting yourself at risk by exposing your browsing information and real IP address to the owners of these applications. Trust decentralized VPN applications built on Sentinel's blockchain. 1. Centralized Servers These VPNs route your traffic through servers they fully control. That means that they can see the websites and servers you visit, get a fingerprint of the data you're accessing, and they already know your real IP address even if the traffic is encrypted. The claims of 'no-logs' cannot be proven and is a claim made by every single centralized VPN company. What really matters is whether the owners control the VPN server or not. 2. Centralized Architecture These services also rely on centralized servers to identify available VPN servers and to connect users to these servers. So even if they claim not to host the final VPN servers, they still handle every connection request. Sentinel's decentralized VPN framework provides a solution to mitigate the risks of centralized servers and centralized VPN architecture. Sentinel offers a fundamentally different approach to online privacy and network security by eliminating the centralized points of control found in traditional VPNs. Its decentralized VPN (dVPN) framework mitigates the inherent risks of centralized infrastructure through two key innovations: 1. Decentralized dVPN Servers Unlike traditional VPN providers that operate and control their own servers, Sentinel allows anyone in the world to become a dVPN node operator. By simply running open-source software on a home computer or cloud server, individuals can contribute bandwidth to the network without requiring any permission or oversight. http://docs.sentinel.co This open ecosystem has led to the formation of a global P2P bandwidth marketplace, with thousands of nodes operating across 99 countries and 666 cities. Users can view the real-time global node map at http://map.sentinel.co. Because connections are made directly between users and independent nodes, and because there is no central authority relaying or managing traffic, even the creators of the Sentinel protocol cannot see user activity or IP addresses. 2. Decentralized Architecture and Discovery Sentinel’s architecture eliminates centralized control by routing all node discovery and connection logic through its public blockchain. Thousands of dVPN nodes broadcast their availability to the blockchain, and users connect to the network using applications like Sentinel Shield dVPN, which communicate directly with the chain via standard RPC endpoints. This means the process of finding and connecting to a dVPN node is trustless and transparent. Users query the blockchain to discover active nodes and establish secure connections without ever exposing their IP address to any centralized server. The blockchain itself is maintained by a decentralized network of over 70 independent validators, ensuring neutrality, uptime, and resistance to censorship. In contrast, centralized VPN providers expose user IP addresses and metadata at multiple stages of the connection process, including during in-app functions like server selection and authentication. With Sentinel, those vulnerabilities are removed by design. To try a VPN application that truly does not know your IP address or any of your information, try the Sentinel Shield dVPN app on your Android/iOS/Mac device! http://shield.sentinel.co All you need is a working Sentinel blockchain RPC to connect. Pay anonymously in $P2P