The not so known, but one of the longest-running English darknet markets, Tor Market is temporarily pausing it's operation for the next 2 to 6 months.
Earlier this month, the admin posted a PGP-signed message to NZ Darknet Market Forum stating the market "needs to take a break” after having been “running 24/7 for five years":
The market needs to take a break from operation. It will be closed for 2 - 6 months from taking new orders. It has been running 24/7 for five years and has become the longest running English language DNM (1). New orders will need to be disabled at the end of March. When the site comes back it will have better layout, improved support system and a solution to the problem of running direct pay when blockchain fees are high (2).
After new orders are disabled and there are no new support tickets to resolve so the site will go offline some time in April. All escrow will be paid out and disputes resolved first.
Vendors can get free accounts on other markets so it is recommended to apply to them before this site is offline.
Thank you for choosing this market over the larger more popular markets.
1. https://theconversation.com/the-dark-web-down-under-whats-driving-the-rise-and-rise-of-nzs-tor-market-for-illegal-drugs-191658
2. The problem with direct pay is many buyers do not understand bitcoin transaction fees, leading to underpaid orders, orders expiring and costs processing refunds on chain. Also the support workload is highly correlated to how busy the btc blockchain is (when btc fees spike up). Of all orders receiving some payment, 21% of them pay an incorrect amount - 1 in every 5 orders. This is a long term proportion when fees are almost always at 1-2 sat/byte. But when fees spike the number of incorrect payments goes much higher. Therefore it is not feasible to run direct pay only when btc fees are high. High btc fees are inevitable over time as miner rewards lower and usage adoption grows.
You can find a signed version of this message here.
A drugs-only marketplace, Tor Market is one of the few darknet markets in which all orders are paid using the Direct Pay (per order) payment method, meaning there are no user accounts which must be pre-funded before placing an order. This renders the market less inclined to conduct an exit scam but introduces problems not associated with traditional market escrow payment systems.
Tor Market will return with: “a better layout, improved support system and a solution to the problem of running direct pay when blockchain fees are high.”
“This has been the best, most well run marketplace in history,” wrote NZ Darknet Market Forums member PredatorLabs in a comment under TormarketSupport’s post. “Great admin, great customers, no exit scams, just the straight up agorism this blockchain technology was designed for” they added.
Last year, The Conversation published an article claiming that Tor Market thrives in New Zealand, a niche territory with strict customs.
According to the forum post, the market is scheduled to go offline sometime in April after it has processed all remaining orders and disputes.
Yo my nigger Ethan, I want to have talk with you and confess everything about AlphaBay.
I am living my life like a rockstar with 20million$ exit scam. One of your writer is my guy so I know everything you post before.
I will open some market soon and do exit scam again. Catch me if you can with the same name "DeSnake".