Frequently Asked Questions — WeTheNorth Marketplace

The WeTheNorth Darknet marketplace is a Canada-centric anonymous trading platform operating exclusively on the Tor network. It was established as a successor to earlier regional darknet markets and has grown into one of the more prominent English-language marketplaces. This site provides informational content about the platform for educational and harm-reduction purposes only.

The verified onion address is published on our access page, which also includes PGP verification information. Never use a link from a search engine result, forum post, or social media without independently verifying it against a PGP-signed announcement. Phishing sites exist in large numbers and look identical to the real site.

Yes — the marketplace is exclusively accessible via the Tor network using Tor Browser. .onion addresses cannot be resolved by regular browsers. Download Tor Browser only from the official Tor Project website (torproject.org). Do not use a VPN as a substitute for Tor.

The marketplace is accessible via Tor Browser on Android (download from Google Play or F-Droid) and via the Onion Browser app on iOS. However, mobile devices are harder to secure than dedicated desktop/laptop setups running Tails OS or Whonix, so desktop access is strongly recommended for better OPSEC.

A WeTheNorth mirror URL is an alternative onion address that provides access to the same marketplace when the primary link is experiencing high traffic or connectivity issues. The marketplace typically maintains multiple official mirror addresses. These mirrors are published in PGP-signed announcements. Unofficial "mirrors" are almost always phishing sites.

PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) is an encryption protocol. On the marketplace, it serves two purposes: (1) Encrypting shipping addresses in messages to vendors — this ensures that only the vendor can read your address, even if messages are intercepted. (2) Two-factor authentication — the platform can challenge you to sign a message with your PGP private key during login, preventing password-only account takeovers. Set up PGP before registering on any marketplace.

Usernames on darknet marketplaces are typically permanent. Create a new account if you require a different username. Importantly, always create a username that contains no personally identifying information and that you have never used anywhere else online.

If you have set up a recovery phrase or PIN during registration, use it. If not, account recovery on anonymous platforms is extremely limited by design — there is intentionally no email recovery or identity verification. This is a core feature, not a flaw. Always store your credentials in an encrypted password manager (KeePassXC) offline.

Navigate to Account Settings → Security → Two-Factor Authentication. Upload your PGP public key if you haven't already, then enable PGP 2FA. On each subsequent login, the platform will present a challenge message that you must sign with your PGP private key to prove ownership. This step is strongly recommended and should be done immediately after registration.

Monero (XMR) is strongly recommended. It provides protocol-level privacy — transactions are untraceable and unlinkable by default. Bitcoin (BTC) is accepted but is pseudonymous on a transparent blockchain, meaning transactions can potentially be traced back to you through chain analysis. If you must use BTC, take additional steps to improve privacy. See our crypto guide for details.

Monero deposits require 10 confirmations before funds are available. Each Monero block takes approximately 2 minutes, so you can expect deposits to unlock within approximately 20 minutes after the transaction is broadcast to the network. Confirmation times can vary with network congestion.

Yes. Peer-to-peer platforms like LocalMonero, Bisq, and Haveno allow you to purchase XMR with cash or other payment methods without identity verification. This is strongly recommended to avoid creating a chain analysis link between your identity and your marketplace wallet. See our XMR guide for step-by-step instructions.

When you place an order, your cryptocurrency is held in an escrow wallet controlled by the marketplace. The funds are released to the vendor only when you mark the order as received (finalize). If there is a dispute, a moderator reviews the case and decides how escrow funds are distributed. Multi-signature escrow is also available for users who prefer trustless settlement.

Finalize early means releasing escrow funds to the vendor before you receive the package and confirm delivery. This removes your protection — if the package doesn't arrive, you have no recourse. FE should only be considered for vendors with hundreds of verified transactions, very high ratings (4.9+/5), and an established long-term reputation. Most new buyers should avoid FE entirely.

If a package doesn't arrive within the vendor's stated delivery window, open a dispute through your order page before the auto-finalize deadline. Provide any relevant information. The moderator team will review the case. Vendors with documented delivery track records typically receive more favorable rulings. Do not communicate delivery addresses via unencrypted messages.

Look for: (1) High transaction count (100+ verified orders), (2) High rating (4.7/5 or above), (3) Positive and specific feedback comments (not vague), (4) Verified vendor badge indicating bond payment, (5) Active communication and fast response times. Newly joined vendors with few orders carry higher risk regardless of their self-reported claims.

Tor Browser is essential and provides strong network-level anonymity, but it is not sufficient alone. You also need: PGP encryption for all communications and addresses, Monero for payments, a unique username not used elsewhere, good behavioral OPSEC (no logging into personal accounts while using Tor), and ideally an amnesic OS like Tails. See our full OPSEC guide.

This is debated among security researchers. A VPN before Tor (VPN→Tor) can hide the fact that you're using Tor from your ISP, but the VPN provider can see you're using Tor and can log your traffic. A VPN after Tor (Tor→VPN) is generally not recommended. For most users, Tor alone is preferable to VPN+Tor unless your ISP actively blocks Tor (in which case use Tor bridges instead).

Tails is an amnesic live operating system that runs from a USB drive. All internet traffic is routed through Tor, and all data is erased from RAM when you shut down, leaving no forensic traces on the host computer. It is strongly recommended for any sensitive computing activity. Download from tails.boum.org and follow the verified installation instructions.

If you believe you accessed the marketplace without Tor protection: immediately change your marketplace password and PGP key, consider the exposed username compromised and create a new account from a properly anonymized connection, and move any remaining funds to a new wallet address. Do not reuse any information from the exposed session.

Report phishing URLs to the official marketplace forum, community discussion channels (like Dread), and to security researchers who monitor darknet phishing campaigns. Include the full phishing URL (not as a hyperlink — as plain text) so others can avoid it. Do not click the link again and clear your Tor Browser history.