For anyone trading crypto and wanting to improve privacy and enhance security a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a tool worth considering. Contrary to the common misconception that cryptocurrencies are anonymous, the reality is that the address required to send and receive Bitcoin (available on Coinbase) can be easily linked back to your IP address. This is bad news if you live in a country that prohibits cryptocurrency trading — because your IP address can reveal your identity.
A VPN allows you to connect to the internet through a server run by a VPN service provider. As a result, your IP address is not revealed to destination sites and all data and information traveling between your computer or device and the VPN server is securely encrypted — unlike with a standard internet service provider (ISP) connection, which can be easily monitored.
In addition to the privacy advantages, connecting via a VPN can potentially allow you to access content that is otherwise censored or prohibited in your own country — or enable you to set up an account on an exchange that you might be geographically blocked from joining — unless the VPN itself has been identified and blacklisted.
Using a VPN goes a long way towards protecting your privacy but you’ll only remain truly anonymous if you choose a VPN that doesn’t keep logs on their users. While a VPN will block your ISP from seeing logs of your history, some VPNs actually record that information themselves. So if the VPN you use keeps logs, you’re essentially handing them the same revealing information that you used to give your ISP.
Logless VPNs, in contrast, don’t track or record any browsing information from customers and many also use a shared IP for many users, making it almost impossible to trace the IP address back to a single person.
Following are a selection of VPNs that don’t keep user logs, and some additional information about the privacy and security laws of the country they are based in.
Windscribe ($7.50 per month)
Windscribe is one of the more expensive logless VPNs, but it offers a high level of security and encryption. Windscribe assures users that no third party tracking or analytics services are employed and that the only program they do use is an open source analytics platform that submits information about your screen resolution and browser user-agent to ensure that you are getting the best performance possible. The caveat here is that Windscribe is based in CanADA who are part of the Fourteen Eyes meaning that signal intelligence could potential be legally collected and shared.
BolehVPN ($6.67 Monthly)
BolehVPN is a no logs VPN provider that supports Tor and is located in the Seychelles. Boleh says its privacy policy is not to keep logs of user activity, however, if they do notice unusual activity, they may turn on logs temporarily to identify abuse and subsequently terminate the account of an offending user. BolehVPN operates from the Seychelles which is renowned for its lack of the type pf invasive surveillance and internet laws that govern much of the rest of the world.
NordVPN ($3.29 Monthly)
NordVPN is a VPN provider based in Panama that keeps no logs on users and accepts payment in Bitcoin (available on Coinbase). The NordVPN’website states, “None of your private data is being tracked, collected or revealed.” NordVPN operates within the jurisdiction of Panama where there is no internet censorship. This also places them outside of any influence by the Fourteen Eyes.
AirVPN ($4.82 Monthly)
AirVPN uses Secure Shell (SSH) and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) tunneling and supports Tor. Its privacy policy states: “Air servers and software procedures acquire only personal data which are strictly necessary for the technical functioning of the service, for example, IP addresses. These data are not collected to identify, through elaboration or any other technique, users’ personal identities. These data are not transmitted to third parties.” However, AirVPN is located in Italy, in the province of Perugia, where a law was recently proposed that would require site managers to censor certain online content. Italy is a member of the Fourteen Eyes.
VPNArea ($4.92 Monthly)
Based in Bulgaria, VPNArea is a logless VPN that accepts Bitcoin (available on Coinbase) payments and offers over 60 server locations. VPNArea claims to have a zero log policy, but you can never be 100 percent sure your personal data will not be collected. Furthermore, the Bulgarian government actively monitors internet usage and has made efforts to pass legislation that would give individual states the power to control internet communication.
For a more in-depth look at VPNs and how well they protect your privacy, The Best VPN provides a comprehensive listing.