Orchid (OXT): how it works, supply and reviews
In short
- Type
- Decentralized bandwidth marketplace and VPN; the site now also describes storage and AI marketplaces
- Maximum supply
- Fixed at 1 billion OXT
- Risks and caveats
- Delegated staking cannot force a provider to share revenue, and moving stake has a withdrawal delay of about three months.
- Checked
- 31 October 2026
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Key facts
- Ticker
- OXT
- Official site
- orchid.com
Key facts checked on 31 October 2026 against official sources.
What is Orchid
Orchid is a decentralized marketplace for bandwidth with a pay-as-you-go VPN app. Providers stake the OXT token in a directory on Ethereum to be picked by users, who pay with streaming probabilistic nanopayments instead of a subscription.
Network and consensus
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Type | Decentralized bandwidth marketplace and VPN; the site now also describes storage and AI marketplaces |
| Runs on | Provider directory and staking contracts on Ethereum |
| Consensus | No own chain or block production; stake only weights the random choice of provider |
| Smart contracts | Payments settle through Orchid's own layer 2, probabilistic nanopayments described as a 'probabilistic rollup' |
| Programming language | VPN app for iOS, macOS and Android; supports OpenVPN, WireGuard and the Orchid protocol |
Supply and issuance
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Maximum supply | Fixed at 1 billion OXT |
| Initial distribution | Pre-mined ERC-20 token |
| Staking rewards | None: no inflation funds staking; providers earn only from users paying for bandwidth |
What OXT is used for
- Providers stake OXT in the directory; more stake raises the chance of being selected by users.
- Users can pay for services with OXT; Orchid accounts can also be funded with other tokens.
- OXT holders can stake on a provider's address (delegated staking), with no automatic reward.
Who develops and governs Orchid
- Company
- Orchid Labs Inc., a Delaware corporation headquartered in San Francisco, with an office in Berlin (2020-2021 site)
- Founders
- Dr. Steven Waterhouse (CEO), Jay Freeman (CTO), Brian J. Fox and Gustav Simonsson
- Developer
- The current site footer names Orchid Technologies
- Open source
- Open source under the AGPLv3 licence (GitHub: OrchidTechnologies/orchid)
History
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2017 | Orchid is founded to build a privacy network. |
| December 2019 | Orchid launches its incentivized peer-to-peer privacy network. |
| 15 June 2022 | Orchid's layer 2 nanopayments go live on Avalanche, so accounts can be funded with AVAX. |
Security and audits
- Orchid lists smart-contract audits by ConsenSys Diligence and Certora on its OXT page.
- Orchid's FAQ notes that a single-hop provider can see the user's payment address, real IP address and destinations; it suggests multi-hop circuits paid from different wallets.
Security incidents
No security incident is recorded in the sources checked on 31 October 2026 (the company’s own channels and incident databases): defillama.com/hacks, rekt.news/leaderboard, hacked.slowmist.io, blog.orchid.com, docs.orchid.com/en/latest/faq, github.com/OrchidTechnologies/orchid
Official OXT contracts
| Network | Contract address |
|---|---|
| Ethereum | 0x4575f41308EC1483f3d399aa9a2826d74Da13Deb |
OXT is an ERC-20 token on Ethereum; the address is the one Orchid's OXT page links to.
Risks and caveats
- Delegated staking cannot force a provider to share revenue, and moving stake has a withdrawal delay of about three months.
- A single-hop VPN provider can see the user's IP address and destinations, as with any VPN.
- Rare winning nanopayment tickets are posted on-chain, revealing the user's and provider's addresses.
Official links
- Website: www.orchid.com
- Docs: docs.orchid.com/en/latest
- Whitepaper: www.orchid.com/whitepaper/english.pdf
- Source code: github.com/OrchidTechnologies/orchid
- Blog: blog.orchid.com
Questions and answers
What is Orchid crypto?
Orchid is a decentralized bandwidth marketplace with a VPN app; providers stake the OXT token on Ethereum and users pay them per use with nanopayments.
What is OXT used for?
Providers stake OXT to be selected by users, and users can pay for VPN service with OXT. The supply is fixed at 1 billion OXT.
Who created Orchid?
Orchid Labs was founded in 2017 by Dr. Steven Waterhouse, Jay Freeman, Brian J. Fox and Gustav Simonsson, and launched its network in December 2019.
Is the Orchid VPN a subscription?
No. Orchid says users pay only for what they use, through nanopayments to randomly selected providers.
Does OXT staking pay rewards?
No automatic rewards: Orchid has no inflation to fund staking, and providers earn only from users paying for bandwidth.
Sources
- Orchid - Home
- Orchid - OXT
- Orchid Docs - Home
- Orchid Docs - FAQ
- Orchid - About us (Wayback, 21 January 2021)
- Orchid - Blog
- Orchid - GitHub repository
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