Nym server operators vote to level the playing field

Lowering stake saturation point makes it easier for new servers to join and serve NymVPN users

September 2, 20256 mins read

NymVPN routes traffic through a network of independent server operators. These operators are rewarded in the NYM crypto token for their services and are involved in governing the economics behind this tokenomic system.

This operator community recently passed its first vote on Nym token economics, reducing the “node stake saturation point” by a whopping 75% to 250k NYM tokens and changing the composition of the network to better serve NymVPN users.

This measure significantly lowers the barrier of entry for new nodes, especially new gateway nodes, thereby readying the network for large-scale adoption of the NymVPN app. And now these changes have been implemented.

What does all this mean for you? Let's break it all down, for stakers and operators alike.

Already using NymVPN?

If you use the NymVPN app, this will likely result in more entry and exit servers for you to choose from! Not yet using NymVPN? Get a subscription now while the Early Bird Promo lasts!

Try NymVPN for 80% off today!

Are you staking NYM tokens?

If you are staking your NYM tokens on nodes, now is a good time to check on your stake! The nodes might have become oversaturated and you will probably want to move some of your stake to new nodes.

A recommended list of quality nodes can be found here. You can also chat directly to the operator community on Telegram.

Running a Nym server?

If you are running a Nym server and participating in the Delegations Program, note that the program rules are changing. Many participants will have reached, or be close to reaching, saturation and graduate from the program!

Maximize your server rewards

We encourage all node operators to self-bond their rewards as this guarantees you better returns – and will help you graduate from the Delegations Program. Interested in joining the Nym ecosystem and running a server? Start here.

If you are unsure about how this change might affect you or what to do with your staked NYM tokens, reach out in Telegram, Element, or Twitter for community and team support.

How did this change happen?

In July 2025, the Nym team circulated a Nym Improvement Proposal (NIP-2) for the operator community to vote on. NIP-2 describes a plan to improve the efficiency and decentralization of the Nym network. The proposal has two parts: 1 Lower the stake saturation point to either 500k or 250k NYM tokens. The latter won the community vote. 2 Adjust the mixnet active set composition, thus increasing the number of gateways and reducing the number of mixnodes in the active set to 80 entry gateways, 60 mixnodes (20 per layer), and 100 exit gateways.

What does stake saturation point mean?

Staking serves as a kind of decentralized reputation for nodes. Anyone holding NYM tokens can stake on a Nym node to signal that this node is an honest and good quality node. In return, the staker earns a share of a node’s rewards. The amount of stake on a node determines its likelihood of being selected to do work and therefore affects the overall rewards it earns.

There is a limit to how much stake a node can get, called a stake saturation. Too high stake saturation means it is hard for newcomers to get saturated and start earning the maximum rewards. A too low stake saturation, on the other hand, would defeat the purpose.

Why change the stake saturation point?

The Nym network had a high stake saturation point, at 1M NYM tokens. That is a lot of NYM tokens and it was therefore hard for new operators to become competitive and earn good rewards. This led to low competition and a centralizing tendency in the network.

Lowering the barrier to entry by lowering the saturation point increases overall competition and allows new operators to more easily join the network and start earning rewards.

What is active set composition?

The active set is the set of Nym nodes that are selected to route traffic for the Nym mixnet in a given epoch (during a 1 hour time period). The active set changes every epoch, allowing a different set of nodes to do work and get rewarded. The active set has five layers comprising different types of nodes:

A layer of entry gateways
Three layers of mix nodes
A layer of exit gateways

Why change the active set?

NymVPN usage so far has shown a much higher demand for the Fast mode based on AmneziaWG (WireGuard).

The consequence of this is a bigger load for gateways, as they also run the Fast mode. The proposal therefore also included a change to the active set composition to increase the number of gateways and decrease mixnodes in the active set. This way, gateways have a higher chance of rewards.

Results of the NIP-2 vote

The vote passed the quorum of 33.3% with 50.51% of nodes voting ahead of the 16 July 2025 deadline. The vote was split across four options, with a clear winner:

58.03% voted for a new stake saturation of 250k NYM
An active set composition with 80 entry gateways, 60 mixnodes (20 per layer), and 100 exit gateways

You can see the full results here