Darknet safety guides
Practical walkthroughs for Tor, PGP verification, operational security, and cryptocurrency. Each guide covers one topic from scratch.
Most people who get phished on darknet markets skip the basics. They grab a link from some random paste, type a password into a clone site, and lose everything before they realize what happened. These guides exist to prevent that.
Each guide below covers a single skill — how to set up Tor properly, how to verify that a .onion link is authentic, how to avoid the common mistakes that get people caught, and how to handle cryptocurrency without leaving a trail back to your identity. Read them in order if you're starting from zero, or jump to whichever one you need.
Tor Browser setup
Where to download Tor, how to configure it for darknet use, and the settings most people get wrong. Covers installation on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
PGP link verification
How to verify that a .onion address is real using PGP signatures. Covers importing public keys, checking signed messages, and spotting tampered links.
Operational security (OPSEC)
The operational security practices that separate careful users from easy targets. Covers browser fingerprinting, JavaScript risks, network isolation, and common mistakes.
Bitcoin and Monero for darknet use
How to acquire, store, and transfer BTC and XMR without connecting the transaction to your real identity. Covers wallet selection, coin mixing, and exchange methods.
Where to start
If you have never used Tor before, start with the Tor Browser setup guide. It walks through the installation, explains the security settings, and covers the mistakes that leave people exposed even when they think they're anonymous.
If you already have Tor running but want to know whether the market links you found are real, the PGP verification guide is what you need. Phishing is the number one way people lose access to their accounts and funds on darknet markets, and PGP verification is the only reliable defense against it.
For an overview of all currently active markets with verified links, see the market directory.