The most popular and most used Darknet forum “Dread”, often dubbed the “Reddit of the dark web,” has officially surpassed 400,000 registered users. A significant milestone in its history, and a statement to the growth of Darknet usage. However, the celebration comes with a statement from Dread founder u/Paris: a platform-wide cleanup to improve functionality and user experience.
Key Insights
- Dread has surpassed 400,000 registered users, reinforcing its position as a leading darknet forum.
- Pre-cleanup: 621,862 posts and 2,901,221 comments.
Ongoing cleanup: Posts reduced to 544,638 and comments to 2,709,958 (and still shrinking). - u/Paris has initiated a large-scale purge of inactive accounts and redundant vendor posts to optimize performance and user experience.
- Users now have the opportunity to claim previously taken usernames from inactive accounts.
- A script malfunction caused unintended post deletions. The admin team is offering to restore affected posts upon request.
- Moderators are actively clearing post queues to assist in reducing database size and improving navigation.
- The cleanup is expected to result in significant database optimization, making the platform faster and more manageable.
- The admin team remains transparent about updates, errors, and progress, fostering trust within the community.
Celebrating 400K Users on Dread
Dread’s user base has grown consistently in the past few years, solidifying its position as one of the most active and trusted darknet forums. Reaching a 400K milestone has always been inevitable and does not paint the full picture of Dread’s user base and power within the space. While 400,000 users have registered on the Dread Forum, it doesn’t require its visitors to open an account while using the website. This alongside the nature of the darknet indicates millions of users.
The 400,000 milestone underscores the resilience and adaptability of the platform despite the challenges associated with operating in the dark web ecosystem. It serves as a testament to the community’s demand for a structured, moderated space amidst the often chaotic nature of darknet platforms.
u/Paris made his statement and shared his excitement over the growth of the forum
It’s clean-up time!
I’m going to start the inactive user account purge right now. The script is already running. But think, is there a name you always wanted, but the account was made 5 years ago with nothing but only a few posts or comments done 4 years ago? Message me and you can get the name you always wanted!
Do you know all those vendors who post basically the same thing over and over again? Ya we are going to clean up all those historical sales posts too. It’s been a long time coming for that. Comment some of the big promotional posts vendors and see how their posts count gets massively reduced as well. The person who comments the biggest one gets some free dread store credit for their yearly premium membership and some fancy awards. Keep all your submissions in a single comment though!
@moderators it’s time to clear out all those post queues! Do your part to stop the database from screaming!
Happy cleaning time!
Edit: There appears to be an issue with some of the de-duplicating process where some posts got purged when they shouldn’t have been. If you find a post of yours got purged, when it shouldn’t have been, just message me and I can restore from backup. Apologies for this issue.Community Reacts to Dread Growth
The community has been vocal in celebrating the milestone: Some users praised Dread for being a reliable source of information, especially in vetting darknet marketplaces and warning against scams.
/u/HorkyPorky “Thank God, it is terribly difficult to sort through search results when one of your keywords is any drug. Looking for MDMA reviews yesterday and 9/10 results were people posting wonderful, full capslock ads
/u/PizzaBoy “Looking forward to a improved Dread!”
This also brings up a point on over the growing user base potentially drawing unwanted attention, sparking discussions on operational security and anonymity. Others raised concerns about the de-duplication script, which accidentally purged some legitimate posts, or opening accounts under a new username. Paris has assured users that posts can be restored upon request, and has promised that important names such as u/DeSnake will not be made available again.
Community Stats
Pre-cleanup:
- Posts: 621,862
- Comments: 2,901,221
- Registered Users: 401,081
Post-cleanup (1 day later)
- Posts: 544,638 (and counting down)
- Comments: 2,709,958
- Registered Users: 401,081
Registered user purging has not begun but should take place within the next week.
Why Dread Matters
Dread is a critical resource for darknet users, offering a structured and reliable platform in an otherwise unpredictable Darknet ecosystem. It allows anonymity and privacy but keeps users informed and open to communication. The website operates exclusively through Tor to safeguard user identities. Its founders and moderators have formed a reliable reputation, and the forums provide a safe environment for discussing darknet-specific topics like marketplace reviews, vendor reliability, and operational security. This makes it a go-to hub for users looking to avoid scams, assess the best darknet markets, and discuss the complexities of darknet usage.
Like any forum, Dread makes marketplace reviews particularly valuable, and keeps the community instantly informed of any issues. Dread also assesses user feedback on vendors and marketplaces, enabling the community to identify trustworthy operators and flag fraudulent ones. This crowd-sourced vetting system is indispensable in a space where traditional consumer protections don’t exist. Dread also prioritizes harm reduction, with users sharing advice on safe practices for drug use, secure transactions, and avoiding law enforcement scrutiny. For many, this guidance can mean the difference between a successful interaction and a deadly mistake.
Dread’s importance extends beyond functionality; it serves as a cultural hub for darknet users. Whether it’s in-depth discussions on darknet trends, law enforcement tactics, or casual exchanges of humor and memes, the platform fosters a sense of community often missing in the clandestine world of the dark web.
Moving Forward
As Dread continues to clean house, users are encouraged to report errors and participate in ongoing improvements. With the cleanup in progress, the platform is likely to see a more streamlined user experience, reinforcing its status as a key forum in the darknet ecosystem