Don’t get Tor confused with a VPN though, which uses tunnels to protect your data from lurkers. Learn the difference between using Tor and a VPN for anonymous browsing. For instance, your Facebook posts are unindexed and won’t be found via a web browser.
The dark web is a mysterious realm of the internet where anonymity is key, and illicit activities often take place. However, there are also legitimate ways to earn money on the dark web if you know where to look and how to navigate this hidden part of the online world.
Freelancing on Dark Web Marketplaces
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In fact, it’s better in the interest of privacy that these pages aren’t readily visible. From this example, you can see that the “deep web” doesn’t have to be scary, illicit, or illegal. It’s further important to distinguish the deep web from the dark web — as the next section explains.
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One common way to earn money on the dark web is through freelancing on various marketplaces. These marketplaces allow individuals to offer their skills and services in exchange for payment in cryptocurrency. Whether you are a graphic designer, writer, programmer, or have any other valuable skill, there is likely a demand for your services on these platforms.
Trading Cryptocurrency
Earning Legitimate Dollars
Dark web marketplaces (or “dark markets”) are commercial websites which specialise in trading illicit goods. They are accessible via darknets (e.g., Tor) and vary in specialisation, technology, and primary supported language. Silk Road, the first modern dark marketplace launched in 2011, limited its sales to drugs while other dark marketplaces allow trading of weapons, fake IDs and stolen credit cards1,2. Most marketplaces simply facilitate transactions between buyers and sellers of illicit goods, however some marketplaces act as sellers and sell directly to buyers. Bitcoin is the universally accepted currency (occasionally together with other cryptocurrencies) on every dark marketplace. Silk Road was utilised by its users as a black market for all types of (in most countries) illegal activities, like buying and selling drugs, credit card data or even guns and other weapons.
Another popular method of earning money on the dark web is by trading cryptocurrency. Just like on the surface web, you can buy and sell various cryptocurrencies on dark web exchanges. By monitoring market trends and making strategic trades, you can potentially make a profit from the volatility of the cryptocurrency market.
Selling Digital Goods
If you have digital goods such as e-books, software, or other downloadable products, you can sell them on dark web marketplaces. While some of these goods may be legal, others may be of a more dubious nature. It’s important to ensure that you are not selling anything illegal or harmful to others when engaging in this type of activity.
- So the government opened it up to allow others to use it so they could use it to sendmessages back and forth, things that they didn’t want governments to know or other people to know.
- Some people simply prefer not to share any information online and use Tor to access normal websites outside the dark web, or to visit dark web news websites and forums.
- After all, the immutable ledger in the Bitcoin blockchain had considerably aided law enforcement to track the illegal transactions of Silk Road.
- If you go looking for trouble on the dark web, chances are you’ll find it.
Overall, earning money on the dark web requires caution, savvy, and a willingness to navigate the murky waters of this hidden corner of the internet. By leveraging your skills, participating in cryptocurrency trading, or selling digital goods, you can potentially make a profit in this secretive online landscape.