# Introduction to Oxen

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**The Oxen Network has transitioned to the Session Network. More information** [**here**](https://oxen.io/blog/development-is-transitioning-to-session-token)**.** 
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{% tab title="Service Node Bonus Program" %}
Service Node operators and contributors who participated in the Service Node Bonus Program earned additional Session Tokens and had their staked OXEN automatically converted to Session Tokens. More information can be found [here](https://swap.oxen.io/).
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Oxen Coin Claims" %}
Oxen can now be swapped for the new Session Token using the [Oxen Coin Claims Portal](https://claim.oxen.io/#/). More information can be found [here](https://token.getsession.org/oxen-coin-claims). 
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{% endtabs %}

**Oxen** was one of the largest app ecosystems in the entire crypto industry. Applications like Session and Lokinet serviced hundreds of thousands of active users thanks to the power of the Oxen Service Node Network, recently migrated to the new [Session Network](https://docs.getsession.org/session-network).

The network was powered by the Oxen blockchain, a privacy preserving cryptocurrency network that enables fast and private value transfer. The blockchain was maintained by a distributed network of community-operated [🖥 Oxen Service Nodes](https://oxen.gitbook.io/oxen-docs/about-the-oxen-blockchain/oxen-service-nodes), which ran all the network features and services offered by Oxen's tech stack.

### The Coin

Oxen was originally forked from Monero, and was based on the CryptoNote protocol. From these beginnings, Oxen inherited privacy and security features — including ring signatures, stealth addresses, and ring confidential transactions. Just like $XMR, $OXEN is fungible, private, and untraceable.

### Service Nodes

Oxen was fully proof of stake, with a set of incentivised nodes called Oxen Service Nodes maintaining an securing the blockchain, providing services to Oxen Apps, and receiving block rewards. Nodes that migrated to the Session Network are now functioning as Session Nodes and receiving block rewards in the form of Session Tokens.

### The Apps

**Session** — An end-to-end encrypted, decentralised messaging app. Because Session doesn’t require any identifying information—such as a phone number or email address—to sign up, it has become popular with civil rights groups, whistleblowers, and other people who require high levels of privacy and anonymity.

**Lokinet** — An onion-router that allows people to browse the internet privately and securely. Lokinet operates on the network layer and is therefore able to onion-route any IP-based protocol, making it fast, dynamic, and adaptable.


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