[Cryptography] Nym mixnet whitepaper for review

[Simun]

On Sun, 2021-02-28 at 13:09 +0000, Harry Halpin wrote:
> We’ve been working on a new anonymous communication network - a
> mixnet - that’s fully decentralized with a self-sustainable economic
> model. 

Great work! It can be a breakthrough technology.


> Full paper at:
> https://nymtech.net/nym-whitepaper.pdf

Some questions:

> Rewards given by NYM tokens allow anyone to join the Nym network and
> enable a sustainable economic model for privacy.

Will there be an ICO? How will be initial distribution of the tokens?
any founders/developers reserves or rewards?


> Nodes in the mixnet are rewarded via a novel proof of mixing scheme

Proof of mixing is PoW+PoS? What is the consensus protocol of Nym
blockchain? VRF-based PoS?


> The Nym network earns income from fees for the usage of the network
> ... "free access" to Nym for human rights activists

So it will be free to use like Tor, but there will be economic
incentives (tokens) for running nodes?


> Prior to Nym, one of the shortcomings of mixnets has been the need
> for expensive computation to make network traffic private.

How much computational power does it take in Nym? Can we run Nym nodes
on mobile phones?


> We assume the adversary has a limited budget (stake) to spend on
> corrupt Nym participants..

Unfortunately, our godlike adversaries have unlimited budget!


> Anonymity loves company

This amazing project remembered me David Chaum's Elixxir/xx network
project. When we have powerful adversaries, it is better, we come
together. With collaboration between Nymtech and Praxxis and other
privacy companies, we can win a major battle in the arms race and gain
a new territory of freedom for several years.



Simun