Normally, you just need to use your favorite search engine to find the links to the sites that you want to visit. But then, you will notice that it is not how it works in the darknet environment. In this guide, we will cover the most important things that you need to prepare in order to access Darknet Markets without any problem.
Since the launch of the Silk Road, a lot has changed in the darknet marketplaces. Because no one was paying attention or knew what to look for back then, you could get away with more. Every day, a large portion of the darknet is monitored and indexed. International law enforcement authorities are working hard to shut down marketplaces and apprehend market participants. There are several methods for safeguarding your online privacy, and it is now more necessary than ever to understand how to employ them.
Understand these basics first before proceeding
Darknet markets are the jungles. You won’t know what you’ll be dealing with out there. Therefore, it is important to cover all of the bases first before using your device to access any darknet market or site. Here are the concepts that you need to know first before going to the dark markets.
Cryptocurrency
Understanding the Cryptocurrency is highly important since you are going to use cryptocurrencies for transactions in the darknet marketplaces. The most common cryptocurrencies used for the marketplaces are BTC – Bitcoin and XMR – Monero.
These cryptocurrencies are usually relevant to a wide array of payment options including Multisig Electrum wallet, co-sign transactions,escrow, and others.
Tor Browser
Most of the darknet marketplaces are available in the Tor Network. In the darknet environment, you won’t be able to use your usual browser since these sites are available in the Tor Network. Therefore, you need to install Tor Browser in order to access these onion domains. Consider going to the official site of the Tor browser and install it on your device. Install this browser in your “darknet” device so that you can access it every time whenever you want to use darknet marketplaces.
OPSEC
The next important thing to do is to learn about OPSEC. OPSEC is the short of “operation security”. We can define it as a responsible actions set to protect and anonymize your online activities. The same definition can also be used when you are accessing the darknet marketplaces as well.
In the OPSEC, it is highly important that the users identify the best possible ways where the adversaries can act against you. The key here is to maintain your online activity while being anonymous all the time.
PGP Encryption
PGP Encryption is one of the most important things in the darknet activities since it has things to do with the effective and safe communication. Since darknet may impose to some sensitive matters, you will want protect your data and information by encrypting them. It does not hurt to learn about PGP Pretty Good Privacy. Applying the encryption everytime you share information or have a conversation with the other members is very important to make sure that you are staying anonymous and safe online.
Be aware of phishing signs
This form of deception is a common technique for darknet market users to lose money. They deposit bitcoin into their accounts through faked websites. Phishing websites encourage people to click on links that look to be from trustworthy companies. As long as you don’t fall for the scam of the fake website, your money will be gone.
Due to URL changes or DDOS attacks, the official URL of a darknet market may be difficult to find. On darkfall and darknet live, you may find these URLs. In the early ‘2021s, Dark Mail was hacked. Even trustworthy resources can be hacked in this way. During the event, hackers replaced links to legitimate markets with phishing sites, resulting in significant losses for a few days.
To avoid phishing, make sure the link is legitimate. We’ll need the market administrator’s PGP public key (also known as a “mirror”) to make this work, so we can add new market connections to the world. Appending “/mirrors.txt” to a market URL is the fastest method to accomplish this.
Only use trusted sources to get the links to these darknet marketplaces.
Making a money deposit
If you pay for a darknet market order, you might not like what you get. As a result, your faith in strangers (the market and/or the seller) to follow through on their commitments is a major source of concern.
For the most part, darknet markets operate on a central wallet system, which allows the market to keep complete control over all cash put on the market. When it comes to processes, people are more likely to use ones that require the buyer to only send the appropriate amount of money at this moment. Multisignature transactions can also be used to pay for orders that require the permission of two out of three people to be fulfilled.
Monero will be widely used on the dark web by 2021, with a significant number of users. (XMR). You will not be able to find transaction amounts, sender and recipient addresses, or any other information on its blockchain. Secondly, Bitcoin is the most widely used and popular cryptocurrency option available (BTC). As long as Monero has existed and its privacy mechanism has not been compromised, we feel it is superior to Bitcoin and, therefore, superior to all other cryptocurrencies as well.
Work with the right vendor
Darknet markets operate in a similar way to Amazon and eBay, with a vendor and feedback system.
Because of the secrecy of darknet markets, a vendor’s reputation is extremely important. Customer confidence in a company increases the likelihood of them making a purchase when the company has a positive reputation. The ratings of vendors from other marketplaces are now being used by several marketplaces, even if the other marketplaces are no longer in business.
Information on placing an order, shipping restrictions, and return policies may all be found on the vendor’s website, as well as how to contact them. This is something you should look at before making your first purchase from a shop.
There are a lot of room for improvement as the time goes by. If you think that our guide was the tip of the iceberg, you are not wrong at all. There are a lot of topics to cover. Consider reading The Darknet Market Bible to give you comprehensive guides on OPSEC and all relevant things in the darknet market.