A favorite of journalists and their anonymous sources, SecureDrop makes it easy to share confidential information without revealing your identity. Many news publications, like the ones listed above, have a SecureDrop on their .onion sites. Onion sites (aka Tor sites) are websites only accessible on the dark web; you can’t view them using a regular browser.
Common Scams On Dark Web Marketplaces
In 2025, only a few markets stand out for their security, reliability, and vendor quality. Torrez Market powers 30,000+ listings and $6 million monthly trades with BTC and XMR, securing a 9% share. Its 16,000+ users and 1,500+ vendors make it a vibrant hub for darknet marketplace diversity. Abacus Market stands out with 35,000+ listings and $5 million in monthly cryptocurrency trades via Bitcoin (BTC) and Monero (XMR). Serving 15,000+ users and 1,200+ vendors, it holds an 8% share of darknet drug trading.
- In some authoritarian states, accessing Tor nodes can flag you for surveillance.
- It also offers a comprehensive list of marketplaces, exchanges, and websites linked to fraudulent activities, helping you stay informed.
- In 2017, the website went offline following a law enforcement action taken by the American, Canadian, and Thai authorities, but since August 2021, it’s been operational again.
- My favorites are DuckDuckGo (usually the Tor browser’s default search engine), The Hidden Wiki, and Ahmia.
- BlackSprut placed first in a recent ranking of Dark Web marketplaces based on the amount of money deposited between January and November 2022.
How To Turn Off SafeSearch On Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo
Sci-hub has more than 80 million research documents, and more than 80% of the database contains journal research articles. Since these pages would otherwise be behind paywalls, it stands to reason that this would go against copyright laws. The Imperial Library currently holds around 1.5 million books, some of which may be hosted illegally, and thus, their consumption might violate copyright laws. To protect yourself against any legal repercussions, you should consider using NordVPN. Therefore, you will always find updated search results while using this service. Proton also offers other security tools besides ProtonMail, such as Proton Drive, Proton Pass, Proton Calendar, and Proton VPN.
Can You Access The Dark Web With A VPN?
Other popular physical documents included EU driver’s licenses ($2,000 apiece), EU national IDs ($1,700 on average), forged US green cards ($450), and IDs of several US states ($200). The internet itself started out as a private network before becoming publicly available. In that sense, the history of the Deep Web is as old as the history of the internet. But if we focus solely on the Dark Web, stats show its history dates back to 2000, when Ian Clarke released Freenet, his thesis project. Only two years later, his thesis project would serve as the basis for the Tor Project, a non-profit group that launched the anonymous Tor browser in 2008. Criminals now purchase ready-to-use malware kits, phishing templates, and ransomware programs.
Drughub locks 10% of pharma trades, proving specialty markets thrive. X Funds derived from non-crypto native crime, except for cases brought to our attention by customers. Because these transactions are impossible to identify as illicit without more information. The landscape of darkweb markets has evolved significantly over the years, with 2024 presenting new trends, challenges, and opportunities for those involved in these underground economies. This article delves into the current state of darkweb markets, backed by statistics, comparisons, and predictions for the years 2024 and 2025. Monero’s ring signatures, stealth addresses, and RingCT obfuscate transaction details—enhancing privacy and hindering traceability The Rise of Monero.
Shuttered Dark Web Marketplaces
For cybersecurity professionals, focusing on payment methods, vendor migration, and marketplace specialisation offers the most effective path to actionable intelligence. WeTheNorth is a Canadian market established in 2021 that also serves international users. It offers counterfeit documents, financial fraud tools, hacking and malware services.
Globally, 12% Of Internet Users Have Used Dark Web Technologies
They take BTC and Monero, with multi-signature escrow and global shipping—vendors swear by it, and I’ve snagged rare stuff (think DMT or niche scripts) without a hitch. Drugs lead the pack—weed, pills, some synthetics—but digital goods like hacked logins are gaining, tying into Telegram’s side gig boom. For 2025, they’re teasing AI-powered search—could make digging through listings a breeze, which I’m hyped for since their catalog’s already hefty.
Best Dark Web Sites In 2025 + How To Stay Safe
This isn’t just a quick list; it’s the full scoop on what they offer, how they keep things tight, and why they’re worth your time—or not. Whether you’re new to the dark web or a vet who’s seen it all, you’ll find something here to chew on. Below, I’m breaking down each market with everything I’ve picked up—listings, quirks, the works. No, black market websites operate illegally and pose high risks of scams, fraud, and law enforcement action. Launched in 2023, STYX focuses on financial crime, providing stolen credit card data, hacked bank accounts and access to various cryptocurrency laundering tools.
The dark web is a part of the deep web that contains websites not included in the mainstream search engine index. The deep web is not a series of sites but a storehouse of records, including email accounts, medical records, private messages, and more. Lastly, to stay up-to-date with the happenings on a particular dark web website, forums are set up as a hub for information exchange. It can’t provide solutions should users encounter issues while using the website.
It doesn’t use JavaScript, meaning the website won’t track your activities or exploit vulnerabilities. The website allows a personalized searching experience, where you can search according to your geographical location, country-specific, and keyword or price-specific search results. While it has legitimate uses, it’s also a hub for cybercriminals, hackers, and other threat actors. They can also take advantage of legitimate software to hide their tracks. For example, YoMix is a bitcoin mixer used by the Lazarus Group to launder their stolen cryptocurrency profits, with a massive influx of laundered funds in 2023. State-sponsored threat actors are cybercriminal groups supported or directly managed by government agencies on the darkweb market.
However, there’s a chance you may run into illegal activity on all but the best onion sites. Most internet users want to use the dark web safely, but it’s still important to be careful when using any onion browser. Apart from the best onion sites listed here, you must be careful with the Tor pages you visit. Search engines and corporate websites might be OK, but even a popular Tor website like Hidden Wiki can show illegal deep web links that jeopardize your online safety. The darknet provides anonymity through the Tor network, but safety requires knowledge. Always verify onion links, use PGP encryption, and never reuse passwords.
TorLinks serves as a backup or secondary directory site to the popular Hidden Wiki. It’s divided into commercial links (from crypto services to gambling sites) and non-commercial links (like social media). As always, use Tor Links with care, as it includes onion links to dubious or illegal activity.
