[Crypto projects](https://revain.org/projects/) › Orchid

# 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

## Key facts

- **Ticker**: OXT
- **Official site**: [orchid.com](https://www.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](https://defillama.com/hacks), [rekt.news/leaderboard](https://rekt.news/leaderboard/), [hacked.slowmist.io](https://hacked.slowmist.io/), [blog.orchid.com](https://blog.orchid.com/), [docs.orchid.com/en/latest/faq](https://docs.orchid.com/en/latest/faq/), [github.com/OrchidTechnologies/orchid](https://github.com/OrchidTechnologies/orchid)

## Official OXT contracts

| Network | Contract address |
|---|---|
| Ethereum | [0x4575f41308EC1483f3d399aa9a2826d74Da13Deb](https://etherscan.io/token/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](https://www.orchid.com/)
- Docs: [docs.orchid.com/en/latest](https://docs.orchid.com/en/latest/)
- Whitepaper: [www.orchid.com/whitepaper/english.pdf](https://www.orchid.com/whitepaper/english.pdf)
- Source code: [github.com/OrchidTechnologies/orchid](https://github.com/OrchidTechnologies/orchid)
- Blog: [blog.orchid.com](https://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](https://www.orchid.com/)
- [Orchid - OXT](https://www.orchid.com/oxt/)
- [Orchid Docs - Home](https://docs.orchid.com/en/latest/)
- [Orchid Docs - FAQ](https://docs.orchid.com/en/latest/faq/)
- [Orchid - About us (Wayback, 21 January 2021)](https://web.archive.org/web/20210121113730/https://www.orchid.com/about-us/)
- [Orchid - Blog](https://blog.orchid.com/)
- [Orchid - GitHub repository](https://github.com/OrchidTechnologies/orchid)

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Page updated: 2026-10-31

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Source: https://revain.org/projects/orchid/