Technical Knowledge Base

The infrastructure operates exclusively on the Tor (The Onion Router) network using v3 onion services. This provides end-to-end encryption and hides the physical location of the server infrastructure. Connectivity requires a Tor-enabled client.

To mitigate Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, the market employs a rotating mirror system. When a primary entry node is saturated or taken offline, traffic is distributed to alternative onion addresses. These addresses are cryptographically signed by the platform's central PGP key to verify authenticity.

Research indicates that enabling Javascript in the Tor Browser Bundle can lead to deanonymization attacks and browser fingerprinting. The DarkMatter interface is designed to function optimally with 'Safest' security settings where Javascript is strictly disabled to protect user anonymity.

Rotation frequency depends on network attack severity. During high-intensity DDoS campaigns, URLs may rotate every 6-12 hours. Users are advised to maintain access to a reliable news source or PGP-verified directory to obtain current entry nodes.

PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) is utilized for Two-Factor Authentication (2FA). Users decrypt a randomly generated challenge code using their private key to prove identity without transmitting passwords in plain text. This prevents unauthorized access even if password hashes are compromised.

Verified mirrors serve the correct PGP-signed header matching the market's public key. Phishing mirrors often function as 'Man-in-the-Middle' attacks, proxying traffic to steal credentials. Verification requires checking the PGP signature manually against the known public key.

EoG protection refers to heavy-duty computational proof-of-work (captcha) systems presented before the login screen. This layer prevents botnets from overloading the authentication server by requiring significant client-side computational resources to access the site.

While the site uses encryption over Tor, internal messages are typically encrypted using the recipient's PGP public key if uploaded. Security best practices dictate that users should encrypt messages locally (client-side) before pasting the ciphertext into the interface.

The platform utilizes a monero-centric settlement layer. Unlike Bitcoin, Monero obscures sender, receiver, and amount data on the blockchain through ring signatures and stealth addresses, providing a higher degree of transactional privacy for escrow interactions.

The escrow system includes a hard-coded timer. If a user does not dispute or finalize an order within the designated window (typically 7-14 days depending on the item type), the funds are automatically released to the counterparty to prevent indefinite locking of assets.

FE allows funds to bypass conventional escrow holding and release immediately to the receiving party. This mechanism is technically riskier for the sender and is usually reserved for participants with high trust ratings and established history to expedite liquidity.

A vendor bond is a security deposit held by the market logic. Historical data suggests this creates a financial barrier to entry, deterring spam accounts and incentivizing proper fulfillment. Bonds are typically returned upon honorable exit from the platform.