Darknet Market Links 2024
| Site | Onion link | Short Link |
|---|---|---|
| Atlas Market | atlasm4euuphzhuer3bdu5juoaltnrve76hlp3ygjz3gv5lhj7zu6jyd.onion | dark.pe/atlas |
| Torzon Market | torzonoxqu4kibxr6yjxangdondtzupzba5hhdiakjdkczyiqhdmhgad.onion | dark.pe/torzon |
| Elysium Market | ifyal75d37qg6mfcmvb4ns2gd56oapi2kxniloxvkckoxjzdr5m36gqd.onion | dark.pe/ely |
| Vortex Market | bar47o4dyrhxgnsa5zg5pkis7ye6gxcqa6ndwys4i2kzmzkzgvqoghyd.onion | dark.pe/vor |
| Sipulitie Market | sipulibrgxfqrenvihkschbrw4hp3wh3zllnzzdrudplpxt3own4s4id.onion | dark.pe/sipuli |
| Abacus Market | abacus5m27pzz3i6cfh7cg7tjt43lkiur6gjqjrwym2avv4uvgfmabad.onion | dark.pe/aba |
| Nexus Market | nexusaaso5kxt75bigvtixw63dot3mnthl3pwqxg4d6tlj5yfqjuviid.onion | dark.pe/nexus |
| MGM Grand Market | duysanj6lge7vfis24r4zkqrvq6tq4xknajk2wdrne2wgx5hpr5c3tqd.onion | dark.pe/mgm |
| City Market | wsptl3z7h2ul4da6rihyb4pwpu4ykcj5fc6cxutkkam72whkbt5i5byd.onion/ | dark.pe/city |
| DarknetHub | dnhuboxyxgbhmnozl5j4wntoon56x423iteusfmbqwsdwl26gnqqy6id.onion | dark.pe/dhub |
| Flugsvamp 4.0 | fs4isvbujof355wj3hhsqahpvmwwjaq3s4mac4yrufrl26pxbzqjvzid.onion | dark.pe/flug |
| WeTheNorth Market | hn2paw7zwrep6fpbcuj6tko6sh2lfgcqgvutmocollu5qvefhdyudlid.onion | dark.pe/wtn |
| GammaGoblin | mb2lgz4a5t2zw2odxkwcj6hr7zfvo3k34p7mehcz24fqvaetysbxgoqd.onion | dark.pe/gg |
| Darknet Inside | dinsid4aauy5y2g7nvfsg6kr4d5j26os26diehfnnxyzexgvsw5htdad.onion | dark.pe/dinside |
| The New York Times | nytimesn7cgmftshazwhfgzm37qxb44r64ytbb2dj3x62d2lljsciiyd.onion | dark.pe/tnyt |
| BBC | bbcnewsd73hkzno2ini43t4gblxvycyac5aw4gnv7t2rccijh7745uqd.onion | dark.pe/bbc |
| ProPublica | p53lf57qovyuvwsc6xnrppyply3vtqm7l6pcobkmyqsiofyeznfu5uqd.onion | dark.pe/propub |
| Dutch National Police | tcecdnp2fhyxlcrjoyc2eimdjosr65hweut6y7r2u6b5y75yuvbkvfyd.onion | dark.pe/dnp |
| CIA's Official Onion Site | ciadotgov4sjwlzihbbgxnqg3xiyrg7so2r2o3lt5wz5ypk4sxyjstad.onion | dark.pe/coos |
| USA's NCIDE Task Force | ncidetfs7banpz2d7vpndev5somwoki5vwdpfty2k7javniujekit6ad.onion | dark.pe/untf |
| Recon | recon222tttn4ob7ujdhbn3s4gjre7netvzybuvbq2bcqwltkiqinhad.onion | dark.pe/recon |
| Kilos | mlyusr6htlxsyc7t2f4z53wdxh3win7q3qpxcrbam6jf3dmua7tnzuyd.onion | dark.pe/kilos |
| Darknet Trust | dntrustmuq5ccf3lygrnhsprpdliakq7r2ljsspczmdsslj5wl4teeid.onion | dark.pe/dtrust |
| Phobos | phobosxilamwcg75xt22id7aywkzol6q6rfl2flipcqoc4e4ahima5id.onion | dark.pe/phobos |
| DuckDuckGo | duckduckgogg42xjoc72x3sjasowoarfbgcmvfimaftt6twagswzczad.onion | dark.pe/ddg |
| pgp.fail | 42w2byx3xiw46mvzaugjn77yljuh3c74zbpq47xllqygncai4fes4wid.onion | dark.pe/pgpf |
| Elude.in | eludemailxhnqzfmxehy3bk5guyhlxbunfyhkcksv4gvx6d3wcf6smad.onion | dark.pe/elin |
| danwin1210.me | danielas3rtn54uwmofdo3x2bsdifr47huasnmbgqzfrec5ubupvtpid.onion | dark.pe/d1210 |
| Mail2Tor | mail2torjgmxgexntbrmhvgluavhj7ouul5yar6ylbvjkxwqf6ixkwyd.onion | dark.pe/m2t |
| Hot-Chilli | jabber.hot-chilli.net | dark.pe/hchilli |
| Rise Up | vww6ybal4bd7szmgncyruucpgfkqahzddi37ktceo3ah7ngmcopnpyyd.onion | dark.pe/rup |
| CS.Email | csmail3thcskmzvjicww3qdkvrhb6pb5s7zjqtb3gdst6guby2stsiqd.onion | dark.pe/csmail |
| ProtonMail | protonmailrmez3lotccipshtkleegetolb73fuirgj7r4o4vfu7ozyd.onion | dark.pe/pmail |
| Linx.do | linx4f75phtm63mxalb2wtspofcodku5lwofiyoupda4n4uc6cfjuzid.onion | dark.pe/linxdo |
| Winx | hrpyqtpeueznvudzs7j4j7guvorl4uiinrbxzwxi6pv5ienbmwdzniad.onion | dark.pe/winx |
| OnionLand | imageflutgtjxfrn.onion | dark.pe/oland |
| Sluggers | uoxqi4lrfqztugili7zzgygibs4xstehf5hohtkpyqcoyryweypzkwid.onion | dark.pe/slugs |
| Incognito | inco3jv3zuudwv2xunslkjq57iicosepewhku2woxfhxltreojtmo4yd.onion | dark.pe/inco |
| Archetyp | 4pt4axjgzmm4ibmxplfiuvopxzf775e5bqseyllafcecryfthdupjwyd.onion | dark.pe/arch |
| Vice City | vicea4n2uc2wv7falwwetgxzav4lv4bf3wqy7gbjkcp76b56svqz5tid.onion | dark.pe/vcity |
| Bohemia Market | bohemdulnoma7x4x445e7sdsv6lcfxbl3fcwl2r2te5xe73zk5tvhrqd.onion | dark.pe/bohe |
| Tor2Door | qgma4eviafgc73ttocqx4h74l7xccywplbqgjyp6yuqxqjwolfxziuid.onion | dark.pe/tor2d |
| Liberty | liberty4mhc252jcz6acjndbotamlajtoo43qcmz4i62lc4b2ol4aeyd.onion | dark.pe/liber |
| Cypher Market | 6c5qaeikz2ily2cujblubfzxawn2jte5aglovsnsjtfs6srlqimpikqd.onion | dark.pe/cypher |
| DarkFox | darkfoxbvqvryrdinmzz5h4i4gpkvwpgxyuh65aj75dbifgakt6czwad.onion | dark.pe/dfox |
| Hydra | hydraclubbioknikokex7njhwuahc2l67lfiz7z36md2jvopda7nchid.onion | dark.pe/hydra |
| Darknet Bible | biblemeowimkh3utujmhm6oh2oeb3ubjw2lpgeq3lahrfr2l6ev6zgyd.onion | dark.pe/dbible |
| XMR Guide | xmrguide25ibknxgaray5rqksrclddxqku3ggdcnzg4ogdi5qkdkd2yd.onion | dark.pe/xguide |
| PsychonautWiki | vvedndyt433kopnhv6vejxnut54y5752vpxshjaqmj7ftwiu6quiv2ad.onion | dark.pe/pswiki |
| PrivacyTools | www.privacy2zbidut4m4jyj3ksdqidzkw3uoip2vhvhbvwxbqux5xy5obyd.onion | dark.pe/ptools |
| Hack Town | hacktowns3sba2xavxecm23aoocvzciaxirh3vekg2ovzdjgjxedfvqd.onion | dark.pe/htown |
| Just Another Library | libraryfyuybp7oyidyya3ah5xvwgyx6weauoini7zyz555litmmumad.onion | dark.pe/jalib |
| DarkLeaks | ejagycwejifelwxdbhbwhxiqe7vomhnqq4szi3dub76olwqc7qwf3fid.onion | dark.pe/dleaks |
| LocalMonero | nehdddktmhvqklsnkjqcbpmb63htee2iznpcbs5tgzctipxykpj6yrid.onion | dark.pe/localm |
| Agora Desk | 2jopbxfi2mrw6pfpmufm7smacrgniglr7a4raaila3kwlhlumflxfxad.onion | dark.pe/adesk |
| Xchange.me | aa7oyok6dxgyedeteldaumqjernm5ai7dnpqayy3p4q7solc6dxi5vad.onion | dark.pe/xchan |
| Kilos Darknet Story | rvm73cldah6tkn3bxek2x5ya47zh4iaisci42yvmlq5e6rdjafuhsbad.onion | dark.pe/kds |
| Captain Blackbeard Radio | enxx3byspwsdo446jujc52ucy2pf5urdbhqw3kbsfhlfjwmbpj5smdad.onion/CaptainBlackbeard | dark.pe/cbrad |
| PornHub | pornhubvybmsymdol4iibwgwtkpwmeyd6luq2gxajgjzfjvotyt5zhyd.onion | dark.pe/phub |
| Dread | dreadytofatroptsdj6io7l3xptbet6onoyno2yv7jicoxknyazubrad.onion | dark.pe/dread |
| The Hub | thehubpkeu7x6ddq5tc4gali6ldsi4ly6bqlhsid7pztwhbirahu6vqd.onion | dark.pe/thub |
| CryptBB | cryptbbtg65gibadeeo2awe3j7s6evg7eklserehqr4w4e2bis5tebid.onion | dark.pe/cryptb |
| The Majestic Garden | tmglsd2i7wmkjg2fmc6jhd77yu4ogsjqupsc4jw22ebbfnnwc7swmuqd.onion | dark.pe/tmgar |
| Envoy | envoy2vxtsbz63bik33yb6vka2ed4x5leeisfg2isd2gz2eg4skwmbyd.onion | dark.pe/envoy |
| NZ Darknet Market Forum | nzdnmfcf2z5pd3vwfyfy3jhwoubv6qnumdglspqhurqnuvr52khatdad.onion | dark.pe/ndmfor |
| Torigon | torigonsn3d63cldhr76mkfdzo3tndnl2tftiek55i2vilscufer6ryd.onion | dark.pe/torig |
| SuprBay | suprbaydvdcaynfo4dgdzgxb4zuso7rftlil5yg5kqjefnw4wq4ulcad.onion | dark.pe/sbay |
| Raddle | c32zjeghcp5tj3kb72pltz56piei66drc63vkhn5yixiyk4cmerrjtid.onion | dark.pe/raddle |
| Verified | verified3vr2kdbnza6c3e5ak4z5xmtti4hx36dfg3kbi6pwekztvsqd.onion | dark.pe/verif |
| Deutschland im Deep Web | germany2igel45jbmjdipfbzdswjcpjqzqozxt4l33452kzrrda2rbid.onion | dark.pe/didweb |
| Cebulka | cebulka7uxchnbpvmqapg5pfos4ngaxglsktzvha7a5rigndghvadeyd.onion | dark.pe/cebul |
| NanoChan | nanochanqzaytwlydykbg5nxkgyjxk3zsrctxuoxdmbx5jbh2ydyprid.onion | dark.pe/nchan |
| Rutor | rutordeepkpafpudl22pbbhzm4llbgncunvgcc66kax55sc4mp4kxcid.onion | dark.pe/rutor |
| RAMBLE | rambleeeqrhty6s5jgefdfdtc6tfgg4jj6svr4jpgk4wjtg3qshwbaad.onion | dark.pe/ramble |
| KickAss | o3nqszgvtqwcc2mxqcqgeyulkh6spiv6yaahgu7znaphzmikfvpu5aad.onion | dark.pe/kass |
| 8chan | 4usoivrpy52lmc4mgn2h34cmfiltslesthr56yttv2pxudd3dapqciyd.onion | dark.pe/8chan |
| XSS.is | xssforumv3isucukbxhdhwz67hoa5e2voakcfkuieq4ch257vsburuid.onion | dark.pe/xssis |
| The Tor Project | 2gzyxa5ihm7nsggfxnu52rck2vv4rvmdlkiu3zzui5du4xyclen53wid.onion | dark.pe/ttpro |
| OnionShare | lldan5gahapx5k7iafb3s4ikijc4ni7gx5iywdflkba5y2ezyg6sjgyd.onion | dark.pe/oshare |
| Feather Wallet | featherdvtpi7ckdbkb2yxjfwx3oyvr3xjz3oo4rszylfzjdg6pbm3id.onion | dark.pe/fwall |
| Archive.is | archiveiya74codqgiixo33q62qlrqtkgmcitqx5u2oeqnmn5bpcbiyd.onion/ | dark.pe/archis |
| Whonix | www.dds6qkxpwdeubwucdiaord2xgbbeyds25rbsgr73tbfpqpt4a6vjwsyd.onion/ | dark.pe/whonix |
| Njal.la | njallalafimoej5i4eg7vlnqjvmb6zhdh27qxcatdn647jtwwwui3nad.onion/ | dark.pe/nijala |
| Qubes OS | www.qubesosfasa4zl44o4tws22di6kepyzfeqv3tg4e3ztknltfxqrymdad.onion/ | dark.pe/qubos |
| Impreza Host | imprezareshna326gqgmbdzwmnad2wnjmeowh45bs2buxarh5qummjad.onion/ | dark.pe/ihost |
| Mullvad | o54hon2e2vj6c7m3aqqu6uyece65by3vgoxxhlqlsvkmacw6a7m7kiad.onion/ | dark.pe/mull |
| Ablative Hosting | hzwjmjimhr7bdmfv2doll4upibt5ojjmpo3pbp5ctwcg37n3hyk7qzid.onion/ | dark.pe/abhos |
| KLOS Host | kaizushih5iec2mxohpvbt5uaapqdnbluaasa2cmsrrjtwrbx46cnaid.onion/ | dark.pe/khost |
| Cryptostorm | stormwayszuh4juycoy4kwoww5gvcu2c4tdtpkup667pdwe4qenzwayd.onion/ | dark.pe/cstorm |
| Keybase | keybase5wmilwokqirssclfnsqrjdsi7jdir5wy7y7iu3tanwmtp6oid.onion/ | dark.pe/kbase |
| Cyptostamps | lgh3eosuqrrtvwx3s4nurujcqrm53ba5vqsbim5k5ntdpo33qkl7buyd.onion/ | dark.pe/cstamp |
| ZeroBin | zerobinftagjpeeebbvyzjcqyjpmjvynj5qlexwyxe7l3vqejxnqv5qd.onion/ | dark.pe/zbin |
| Antinalysis | pdcdvggsz5vhzbtxqn2rh27qovzga4pnrygya4ossewu64dqh2tvhsyd.onion/ | dark.pe/alysis |
| Nitter | npf37k3mtzwxreiw52ccs5ay4e6qt2fkcs2ndieurdyn2cuzzsfyfvid.onion/ | dark.pe/nitter |
Darknet Market Latest news
The darknet market ecosystem remains highly dynamic, with numerous short-lived markets emerging and closing rapidly. This volatility poses a challenge for any single market to establish long-term dominance.
Following the takedown of Hydra Market in April 2022, which was previously the largest darknet market, several new markets have emerged to fill the void. The five largest markets that have risen to prominence since Hydra’s closure are Mega, Blacksprut, Solaris, Kraken, and OMG!OMG! Market.
The darknet scene has been marred by ongoing cyber warfare among these markets, involving DDoS attacks, doxing of administrators, and the spreading of rumors. For instance, DDoS-for-hire groups like Killnet and Deanon Club have targeted markets such as Blacksprut and Mega. Some markets have even formed alliances; for example, Solaris reportedly paid Killnet around $50,000 to conduct a DDoS attack against a competitor’s support forum.
The closure of major markets has led to a shift in threat actor behavior. Some have migrated to forums like “RuTor,” decentralized Telegram-based shops, or even offline transactions for physical goods like narcotics. U.S. government sanctions have further complicated the ability of any single market to reach the scale and reputation of Hydra.
As of March 2024, Abacus Market has emerged as one of the largest dark web markets, offering over 40,000 products across various illegal categories. It has been actively trying to attract users from the recently closed Incognito Market. Other significant markets currently operating include Russian Market (focused on selling PII data and fraud-related items), BriansClub, Torzon Market, and Cypher Marketplace. These markets continue to use cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Monero for transactions to maintain anonymity.
The darknet market ecosystem is a continually evolving landscape, driven by the constant emergence and disappearance of markets, shifting alliances, and ongoing cyber conflicts.
What are Darknet markets?
Darknet markets are part of the dark web, and they function as black markets offering illicit goods for sale, often using cryptocurrencies as a method of payment. To access these darknet markets, one would typically need specific dark web links and knowledge on how to access the darknet, usually through the Tor network. While some products for sale are legal, illicit goods such as drugs, stolen information, and weapons are frequently found on these platforms.
Transactions within these darknet markets are designed to be anonymous. They exist on the Tor network to ensure security and anonymity for both users and providers. Payments are often made using cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and dark wallets to safeguard both the seller and buyer. The site operator holds the payment in escrow to deter scammers. The most vulnerable point in this process is the actual shipping of the goods via the postal system.
Dark Web Market Links, 2024
The number of the dark web marketplaces is insanely long, so if you want to see all of them, check the platforms, like the Hidden Wiki. This article is for the educational purposes, so here you can find basic types of the contemporary darknet markets and the links to the most popular markets, you might want to visit.
Darknet Market Tendencies
Running a darknet market isn’t easy. All the providers need to constantly invent and apply various protective measures to boost operational security and escape denial of service (DDoS) attacks or legal prosecution. Unfortunately, over the past few years a lot of darknet markets have seized their existence, regardless of whether they are large and reputable (e.g., Dream Market, White House Market, Wall Street Market, Empire Market, etc.) or new and popular (Yellow Brick Market).
Some markets quit respectfully and notify their customers in advance, but some choose to exit scam out of greed or rush. Evidently, times call for a change, and the platforms are finally ready to answer. Hence, there are some new tendencies gaining popularity among the contemporary darknet markets. Here is the list of the most significant ones:
- Most of the vendors started to open shops on multiple platforms to display their products on as many darknet markets as they can. Now, they enlarge their customer base and don’t have to look for a new place if something goes wrong.
- Plenty of service providers choose to specialize in a particular area, instead of offering a full package of goods and service. For instance, you can find markets, focused exclusively on selling drugs (Archetyp Market, Monopoly Market, CannaHome, etc.) or credit card data (UniCC, DuckCVV, Ferum Shop/Fe Market, Joker’s Stash, etc.). It helps to provide better quality control and keep things less messy.
- Establishing a regionally oriented market is now also a thing. There are platforms designed primarily for the customers from Canada (Canada HQ), Russia (Hydra Market, Russian Market, Mega Market, Tochka Market), Finland (Spurdomarket, Sipulimarket), Sweden (Flugsvamp 3.0), and many other countries/regions. If you’re not from this area, it might seem like a wrong choice, but it actually has certain advantages. Scammers might find translating hard too, so the security on the website will be better. Plus, prices there are usually very cheap.
- Safety of their finances is one of the major concerns among the darknet users. Therefore, many companies begin to offer its clients the full package of advanced security features. Multisig is good for dispute resolution, Monero (XMR) enhances privacy capabilities, and wallet-free payment system saves money of both buyers and sellers in case of an exit scam. If you want to experience the benefits of these modern technologies, visit such platforms as Vice City Market, Cypher Market, or Monopoly Market.
Top Darknet Markets, 2024
Nexus Market, Abacus Market, MGM Grand Market, Atlas Market, Archetyp.
Dark Web Explained
What do you imagine, when you hear a “dark web” word combination? That shady guy from the incognito mode, the one wearing a greatcoat, sunglasses, and hat, offering you illegal drugs, forgeries, and hitman services? Surely, you’re not entirely wrong, but it’s not as dark as it sounds.
Generally, dark web is invisible to the common Internet users, they simply don’t have to deal with it. That’s why for the majority of people, this concept is a mystery they cannot fully observe or understand. Yet, they hear about it a lot. Sometimes this information is reliable, but mostly, it’s just rumoring, speculating, or making up stories. So, let’s clear the air and define what stands behind the “dark web” term once and for all.
The Mechanics Behind the Dark Web
There is no dark without a light, so it’s hard to explain the notion of the “dark web” without mentioning the “deep web” and the “surface web”. Long ago, at the dawn of the Internet era, there were no censorship or any other form of control, and people were allowed to be completely anonymous.
As the number of users grew, and technologies became more sophisticated, the concept of privacy changed drastically. Now, every application on your device can gain access to your personal data. Some people found this approach unacceptable and decided to leave the “surface” and go “deep”. They proclaimed that they would establish a truly free Internet, and they did.
Still, which part of the “deep web” is the “dark web”, and how exactly do they differ from the “surface web”? Commonly, this organizational structure is illustrated with an iceberg:
- The “surface web” is the tip of the iceberg, the visible part that you can see above the water. It is composed of the sites that you use every day and can find by using a search engine (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Amazon, Wikipedia, etc.).
- The “deep web” is under the water, it includes all the portals that the search engines, such as Google or Bing, don’t display. It doesn’t necessarily involve the websites dedicated to the illegal activities. Generally, this category includes the platforms designed to protect personal data or provide limited access, like corporate portals, databases with sensitive info, subscription only sites.
- The “dark web” is the bottom of the iceberg. This territory brings its users the complete privacy, that’s why it can be accessed only through the special software, e.g., Tor browser. Here you can express your opinions freely and enjoy the uncensored books, records, or discussions. However, it’s essential to keep in mind that there is no personal responsibility or law enforcement here, so your chances to encounter various types of crimes, like human trafficking, cyberattacks, ransomware, private and financial information disclosure, or money laundering, or much higher, in comparison to the “surface web”.
Darknet Markets as a Part of the Dark Web
Have you ever imagined shopping at a fantasy world market? You bought a potion from a warlock, yet he didn’t mention it would give you a tail as a side effect. A witch turned you into a prince, but the spell wore off as soon as you left the market. The tents and merchants disappear within seconds, and no one has a return policy.
Darknet markets might not be enchanted, still they can be incredibly unpredictable and dangerous. Service providers can close the platform and exit scam, while darknet vendors can make you fall right into the trap of giving them your money or personal data. Therefore, you need to learn how everything works before you actually go there.
What Can You Find on a Darknet Market?
Sadly, you can’t buy a potion, a spell, a magic wand, or a dragon egg on a darknet market. But you can choose almost every illegal product on the planet Earth. The most popular market categories are:
- Illicit drugs. It can be recreational and prescription drugs of all kinds, such as cannabis, dissociative, opiates, stimulants, psychedelic, etc. Selling drugs is so profitable, many new markets decide that there is no point in selling anything else. Some of them even go further and focus solely on offering weed related products.
- Fraud related products. If you’re looking for a credit card, bank account, details, logins, passwords, or other personal financial info, darknet market is the right place to check. Many markets choose to specialize in this area. A credit card shop is the most widespread variant, but fraud shops with bank accounts, login data, and passport scans are also available.
- Software. This category includes any piece of code that could be used to attack an electronic device or a website, like malware, exploits, and botnets.
- Forgeries. Here you can find all kinds of counterfeit products, such as watches, jewelry, clothes, and other brand items people might want to buy.
- Services. This is a wide and quite an ambiguous category. It might refer to manufacturing fake documents, hacking, or carding, or even crypto-mixing.
The “Forbidden Fruits” of the Darknet Marketplaces
The dark web might be designed for a variety of things, but the darknet markets are made for business, and businesses have to make profits. The most efficient way to get a steady income flow is not only to attract the new customers, but also to retain the ones that made at least one purchase. The companies with reputation and standards are usually perceived as more trustworthy. Plus, staying humane and sticking to the universal moral values is important if you want people to respect you, even in the dark web community.
Thus, the majority of the darknet markets don’t offer such services and goods on their platforms:
- murder for hire, as well as any other form of hurting a living creature;
- child pornography;
- weapons, arms, and explosives of any kind;
- fentanyl or related substances.
However, for every rule, there is an exception. For better or worse, you can still find the websites, like Invictus Market, that allow their vendors to sell weapons, ammo, and other products, typically prohibited on the other markets.
How to Buy Illicit Goods on a Darknet Market
You might think that the algorithm of buying goods and services online is basically the same, regardless of whether it’s an eBay or an Empire Market. Yet, the markets that operate within the legal framework have more means and mechanism to protect their users, while the darknet markets have to find a proper balance between security and anonymity. Here are some of the features and procedures they use to turn a darknet market into a safer space.
Registration & Communication
Obviously, the registration process is completely anonymous. Normally, all you have to fill in is your username, password, and captcha. For additional protection, some websites might ask you to come up with a PIN code, but you would never have to submit any personal info, including your first name, last name, date of birth, etc.
Encrypting all your communication is vital when you browse the dark web, especially if you’re buying drugs or other illegal stuff. Usually, the darknet markets have a Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) public key that users can use to encrypt the messages and other data. If your provider has it, you should definitely use it.
Payment Process
The darknet markets ensure the anonymity and security of all the parties involved by applying an Escrow system and using cryptocurrencies. The whole process includes several unskippable steps:
- As soon as you’re ready to place an order, you need to exchange your money to the exact amount of cryptocurrency you need. It can be Bitcoin or Monero, depending on the platform’s requirements and your preferences. You can do it, using one of the traditional deposit wallets.
- When you place the order, the payment will be placed into the market’s account, and it will stay there, until you mark the order as completed.
- The money is transferred to the vendor, the moment you finalized the order.
This is the standard procedure, but if you’re looking for a swifter or safer process, you can opt for the markets with these features:
- Finalize Early (FE). This means that you can send money straight to the vendor. It increases the speed of processing the payment and delivering the package, but it also puts you in a great danger of getting scammed. That’s why the majority of markets will allow only a vendor’s account that meets certain criteria to apply this function.
- Multisig. This option allows platforms to handle disputes in a timely and smooth manner because they can grant the signature to the party they believe is right.
- Wallet-free payment. If you use this feature, you won’t need to use the market’s in-built e-wallet. Hence, you won’t have to store or withdraw anything, which significantly decreases the risk of losing your funds.
Retrieved from the UNODC’s report on the Darknet Cybercrime Threats to Southeast Asia, 2020.
Delivery
You can receive the digital goods and services online, but some shipments, like drug deliveries, are conducted through the old-fashioned postal system. It is important to remember that when you write down your shipping address, it can be any location that is convenient for you, it doesn’t have to be your home address.
Tor Market Links
You can’t access dark net markets via traditional means, such as search engines or commonly used software. Tor (short for onion router) browser is one of the most simple and user-friendly solutions available. You can use it to surf both the clearnet and the darknet, remaining completely anonymous, as the traffic automatically routes through the Tor network. However, you’ll still need a special onion link to open the darknet market.
Retrieved from Filiol, E., Delong, M. & Nicolas, J. Statistical and combinatorial analysis of the TOR routing protocol.
What’s an Onion Link?
You might have noticed that all the links from the list of the best darknet markets have an .onion extension. This means that they are visible in the Tor browser, but can’t be opened anywhere else. This guarantees that your visit to the market will be totally private. Tor software offers both desktop (Windows, Mac, Linux) & mobile solutions (Android application), which means that you can go shopping anywhere, anytime.
Security Recommendations
Many darknet users, especially those who choose to manage a darknet marketplace, have experience in cybersecurity. Yet, you shouldn’t refrain from buying what you need just because you’re not a member of a hacker group. But you should also keep in mind that the website you’ve accessed is a market built specifically for accommodating the illegal deals. Here are some tips that might help you to not get caught or scammed:
- Go to the settings of your Tor browser and disable the JavaScript by turning your security level to “Safest”.
- Turn on the VPN service for additional privacy protection.
- Apply 2-factor authentication (2FA) with PGP encryption if available because on some platforms only vendors are allowed to use it.
- If the site has a “Verify link” page, use it, it’s an instrument for the phishing protection. Yet, remember that the best phishing protection is your common sense.
- Keep your darknet and everyday activities separated, don’t use Tor for casual browsing.
- Your username, password, or PIN should be random and show no personal connection with you.
- Keep all the important information somewhere only you can access.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for advice on the market’s internal forum, but think twice before taking it.
- Be an upstanding customer. Some markets reward the most loyal and active users with custom domains.
Darknet Marketplaces
Now, that you’ve adjusted the settings of the TOR-browser and turned on the VPN, you can finally take your first step into the dark. But it’s easy to get lost without a map. So, take a look at these short reviews of the best darknet markets to decide where you should go. The list doesn’t only include the largest markets, here you will also find the platforms that both newcomers and experienced users would find interesting.