Dark Matter Onion — Help Center

The dark matter onion refers to the .onion address used to access the darkmatter market. Onion services provide end-to-end encrypted, anonymous access to websites on the Tor network. DarkMatter Market operates multiple verified mirrors, all sharing the same core infrastructure and PGP-signed content.

Every verified dark matter onion address is listed in the mirrors table below. Each mirror is cryptographically signed with the market's documented PGP key, ensuring authenticity.

To access dark matter, follow these steps:

1. Download Tor Browser

   Tor Browser is the only supported way to access any dark matter onion address. Download it from the Tor Project.

2. Verify the download

   Check the PGP signature of the Tor Browser download. The Tor Project provides instructions for verifying signatures.

3. Connect to Tor

   Launch Tor Browser and wait for the connection to establish. This may take a few seconds, especially if you're using bridges or a slow connection.

4. Visit a verified mirror

   Copy a verified dark matter onion address from the mirrors table below. Paste it into Tor Browser's address bar and press Enter. The page should load within 30 seconds.

If the page doesn't load, check the troubleshooting section.

DarkMatter Market maintains a 98% uptime record. The status of every verified dark matter mirror is checked every 15 minutes. The current status is displayed in the mirrors table below.

If all mirrors show "OFFLINE" in the table, the market may be undergoing maintenance or experiencing a network-wide outage. Check back in 30 minutes. If the status remains offline, consult the status page for incident reports.

If you're asking "is dark matter down?", first check the mirrors table for the current status. If a specific dark matter onion address isn't loading, try a different verified mirror.

Common reasons a dark matter mirror might appear down:

• Your Tor circuit is slow or blocked. Try changing your Tor circuit.
• The mirror is undergoing maintenance. Check another verified dark matter onion address.
• Your system clock is incorrect. Tor requires accurate time to establish connections.
• JavaScript is disabled. DarkMatter Market requires JavaScript for the login and entering process.

To verify a dark matter mirror, use the PGP Signature Verifier tool above. Paste the .onion address into the form and click "Verify". The tool will check the mirror's PGP signature against the market's documented key.

If you prefer to verify manually:

1. Download the market's PGP public key

   The key is available on Mailvelope's key directory. Search for "DarkMatter Market".

2. Fetch the mirror's HTML

   Use curl or Tor Browser's "Save Page As" to download the mirror's HTML.

3. Extract the PGP signature

   Look for a block that starts with -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- and ends with -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----.

4. Verify the signature

   Use GnuPG to verify the signature: gpg --verify signature.asc. If the output says "Good signature", the mirror is verified.

Manual verification requires technical knowledge. For most users, the automated tool above is sufficient.

Only verified dark matter mirrors are safe. A mirror is safe if:

• It appears in the verified mirrors table below.
• It has a valid PGP signature from the market's documented key.
• It loads in Tor Browser without SSL warnings or captchas.

Unverified mirrors may be phishing clones designed to steal credentials or funds. Always verify a dark matter onion address before use.

The status of every verified dark matter mirror is checked every 15 minutes. The last verification timestamp is displayed in the mirrors table below and in the status page.

For manual verification, the market's PGP key was last updated in 2024. The key's fingerprint is:

3FAE FB3C 4A2D 8C7A 5F1E  4B3D 1A2B 3C4D 5E6F 7A8B

This fingerprint should match the key you download from Mailvelope or OpenPGP.

DarkMatter Market accepts only Monero (XMR) for direct payments. However, the market integrates a third-party conversion API for users who need to convert other cryptocurrencies to XMR.

Supported cryptocurrencies for conversion:

• Bitcoin (BTC) — 0.01 to 0.25
• Litecoin (LTC) — 0.5 to 125
• ZCash (ZEC) — 0.5 to 300

Conversion fees are variable and depend on the exchange service rate.

DarkMatter Market uses a 2/3 Monero multisig escrow system. Here's how it works:

1. When you place an entry, the market generates a multisig wallet.
2. You, the vendor, and the market each receive one key.
3. You send XMR to the multisig wallet. The funds are held in escrow.
4. After receiving the item, you finalize the entry. This requires two keys (yours and the market's) to release the funds to the vendor.
5. If there's a dispute, the market acts as an arbitrator and can release funds to the appropriate party.

This system ensures that neither you nor the vendor can scam the other.

If you don't finalize your entry, the funds remain in escrow. After 14 days, the market will auto-finalize the entry, releasing the funds to the vendor.

Auto-finalization is a safety feature to prevent funds from being locked indefinitely. However, you should always finalize the entry manually once you receive and inspect the item.

Finalizing the entry earns you EXP points, which can unlock additional features and privileges on the market.

To assess a vendor's trustworthiness on darkmatter market:

• Check the vendor's verification tier. Higher tiers indicate more trust.
• Read the vendor's feedback. Look for consistent positive reviews.
• Review the vendor's terms. Trustworthy vendors provide clear fulfilment channel and refund policies.
• Verify the vendor's PGP key. All vendors must use PGP for communication.
• Check the vendor's shop for a harm reduction badge. Vendors with this badge participate in the market's lab-testing program.

Avoid vendors who:

• Offer rate adjustments for off-market payments.
• Refuse to use PGP for communication.
• Have no feedback or a high percentage of negative reviews.

The vendor bond is a 2.00 XMR collateral note that vendors must post to list on darkmatter market. The bond serves two purposes:

1. It acts as a financial deterrent against scamming. Vendors who scam users forfeit their bond.
2. It ensures vendors are serious about their business. The bond is refundable after 90 days of inactivity.

The bond is held in escrow by the market and is not accessible to the vendor until they leave the platform.

PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) is the standard for secure communication on darknet markets. On darkmatter market, PGP is used for:

• Encrypting fulfilment channel addresses to prevent interception.
• Verifying vendor identities and preventing phishing.
• Signing messages to prove authenticity.
• Encrypting support tickets to protect sensitive information.

Without PGP, your communications are vulnerable to interception, and your identity is at risk. Always use PGP for any sensitive information.

If a vendor asks for off-market payment, report them to the market's support team immediately. Off-market payments bypass the escrow system and expose you to scams.

DarkMatter Market strictly prohibits off-market payments. Vendors who solicit them are banned permanently, and their bond is forfeited.

Always use the market's built-in escrow system for payments. If a vendor refuses, find another vendor.

DarkMatter Market's harm reduction program anonymously and randomly lab-tests vendor products. Here's how it works:

1. The market selects a random sample of vendor listings for testing.
2. The vendor is notified and must submit a sample of the product to the market's lab.
3. The lab tests the sample for purity, contaminants, and authenticity.
4. If the sample passes, the vendor receives a harm reduction badge on their shop.
5. If the sample fails, the vendor is banned, and their bond is forfeited.

Vendors with the harm reduction badge are more trustworthy, as their products have been independently verified.

If a dark matter onion address isn't loading, try these steps:

1. Check the mirrors table for the current status. If all mirrors are offline, wait 30 minutes and try again.
2. Restart Tor Browser. This often resolves connection issues.
3. Change your Tor circuit. Go to the Tor Browser menu and select "New Tor Circuit for this Site".
4. Check your system clock. Tor requires accurate time to establish connections.
5. Disable browser extensions. Some extensions interfere with Tor's functionality.
6. Try a bridge. If your connection is censored, use a bridge to bypass restrictions. Learn how on the Tor Project's website.

If the issue persists, consult the status page for incident reports.

If you suspect a dark matter mirror is a phishing clone:

1. Do not enter any credentials or personal information.
2. Use the PGP Signature Verifier to check the mirror's authenticity.
3. If the tool reports "Phishing mirror detected", report the address to the market's support team.
4. Clear your browser cache and cookies to remove any stored data.
5. Change your password and PGP key if you entered credentials on the phishing site.

Phishing mirrors often mimic the market's design but have subtle differences, such as:

• Incorrect PGP key fingerprints.
• Missing harm reduction badges or vendor verification tiers.
• SSL warnings or captchas (DarkMatter Market never uses captchas).

Changing your Tor circuit can resolve connection issues with dark matter onion addresses. Here's how to do it in Tor Browser:

1. Click the hamburger menu (☰) in the top-right corner.
2. Select "New Tor Circuit for this Site".
3. Wait for the new circuit to establish (this may take a few seconds).
4. Reload the page.

If the issue persists, try a "New Identity". This closes all tabs and clears all session data. Go to the hamburger menu and select "New Identity".

For more advanced troubleshooting, consult Tor Browser's manual.