In the past several months, Sentinel has successfully launched the first peer-to-peer (P2P) decentralized network where users can host exit nodes and monetize their bandwidth on the Ethereum Rinkeby TestNet. This forms the basis for Sentinel’s decentralized virtual private network (dVPN) that uses blockchain as a solution to address the mounting problems of internet anonymity and privacy.

Using Sentinel’s VPN network, users can host exit nodes and offer their bandwidth in exchange for SENT. During our development process, however, we realized that requiring users to purchase SENT tokens via an exchange posed a potential problem. Indeed, liquidity and ease-of-access are two major issues facing the blockchain industry. As a solution, Sentinel developed the first working in-wallet ERC20 token swap feature.

In-Wallet Swaps on Sentinel

However, this raises another issue. Ethereum currently lacks inherent anonymity protocols, which leaves the network vulnerable to heuristic analysis. This can reveal sensitive information about Ethereum users. To further protect user anonymity and privacy, Sentinel has developed an interoperable swap mixer solution that we call “Swixer.”

Swixer: An Anonymous Swap and Mixer

Sentinel is proud to announce the release of anonymous swap and mixing utility: Swixer. Swixer is an independent, open-source utility that allows users to mix transactions by swapping between various coins to ensure the protection of user anonymity. Swixer can be freely deployed on any blockchain using the native token for transaction fees. Swixer is already deployed on the Sentinel chain and is available as a web app via https://swixer.sentinelgroup.io. SENT, ETH, PIVX, and BNB are currently supported, however additional coins will be added soon.

Introducing Sentinel SWIXER — swap mixer web app: https://swixer.sentinelgroup.io.

By enabling cross-chain swaps to other blockchains that possess working anonymity protocols, Swixer eliminates the transactional trail that is left behind by a user on the Ethereum network. Moreover, the swaps obfuscate the transaction history all while returning an equivalent value of tokens to the original chain at a new address, whose private keys reside with the user.

As discussed in a previous blog post, the PIVX network possesses one of the most advanced implementations of the Zerocoin protocol, exponentially increasing transactional anonymity. This makes it the logical choice for the first implementation of Swixer.

That brings us to the PIVX Alliance proposal system. The PIVX Alliance proposal is an aspect of PIVX’s innovative decentralized governance system. For every 648,000 blocks or roughly every month, PIVX masternodes vote on proposals through the creation of a superblock.

The next superblock is due on the 16th of July, with proposals frozen for 72 hours prior.

To facilitate the creation of PIVX swap nodes, Sentinel intends to make an official PIVX Alliance proposal in the coming days, and both the development team and the community is optimistic of acceptance by the PIVX masternode network.

How does Sentinel Swixer Work?

Breakdown of a PIVX to SENT swap transaction.

When making a PIVX to SENT Swixer transaction, the following steps are executed: