What is Mysterium VPN?
Mysterium is built on blockchain technology and uses the MYST cryptocurrency token to pay node operators (the people who share their home internet connection). The project is based in Switzerland — one of the most privacy-friendly jurisdictions in the world — and is fully open source.
Because there is no central server, there is no central entity that can store your logs. This is a fundamentally different privacy model compared to traditional VPNs where you're trusting the company not to log your data.
How It Works
When you connect to Mysterium VPN, you're connected to a node — someone's home computer or router that's sharing their internet connection in exchange for MYST tokens. Your traffic exits from their home IP address.
This means websites see a genuine residential IP address, which is why Mysterium can bypass Netflix's VPN detection — Netflix blocks datacenter IPs but genuine residential IPs look like regular home users.
Speed Test Results
Speed is Mysterium's biggest variable. Since you're connecting to individual home users, speed depends entirely on which node you get:
The key is selecting good nodes. Mysterium's app lets you filter by speed before connecting. In our testing, we regularly found nodes with less than 20% speed loss — competitive with traditional VPNs.
Privacy — The Real Advantage
This is where Mysterium genuinely stands apart. Three layers of privacy that no traditional VPN can match:
1. No central server. There is no company-owned server your traffic passes through. There is no single entity that can be compelled by a government to hand over your data.
2. Residential IP addresses. Your connection exits from a real home, not a datacenter. Websites, streaming platforms, and trackers cannot identify your traffic as VPN traffic.
3. Crypto payments. Pay with MYST tokens and your VPN usage has no link to your name, email, or payment card. Full financial anonymity.
Streaming with Mysterium
Because residential IPs bypass Netflix's VPN detection, Mysterium can access Netflix US, UK, and other regional libraries. In our tests it worked — though results varied by node. Unlike NordVPN which reliably works every time, Mysterium requires trying a few nodes to find one that's fast enough for streaming.
Pricing
Pros & Cons
- Real residential IPs — virtually undetectable
- No central server — no central logs by design
- Works with Netflix via residential bypass
- Crypto payments for complete anonymity
- Switzerland jurisdiction
- Open source and auditable
- 19,000+ nodes in 135 countries
- Speeds vary by node — unpredictable
- No iOS app currently
- You're trusting individual node operators
- Not beginner-friendly
- Only 7-day money-back (vs 30 days for others)
- Streaming requires node switching
Rating Breakdown
FAQ
Final Verdict
Mysterium VPN scores 7.2/10 overall, but scores a near-perfect 9.7 for privacy — the highest on our list. It's in a completely different category to traditional VPNs.
Use Mysterium if: You're technically minded and want the highest possible level of privacy, anonymity, and undetectability. Particularly if you want crypto payments or residential IP addresses.
Use NordVPN instead if: You want reliable speeds, consistent streaming, and a simpler experience. NordVPN is better for 95% of users.