TorZon Market Onion Knowledge Base

The TorZon infrastructure utilizes a distributed network of load-balanced hidden services. When one node faces congestion or DDoS attacks, traffic is rerouted through alternative verified mirror links, ensuring persistent connectivity within the Tor network. This decentralization minimizes single points of failure.

Access strictly requires the Tor Browser to navigate the .onion pseudo-top-level domain. For optimal security, the browser should be configured to the 'Safest' security level, although this may disable some JavaScript functionality. The interface is designed to function with minimal client-side scripting.

Verified mirrors are frequently rotated to mitigate targeted Denial of Service (DoS) attacks. The platform employs a rotational strategy where compromised or overloaded entry nodes are deprecated, and fresh V3 onion addresses are broadcasted via signed messages to maintain availability.

PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) is central to the platform's security model. Users verify the authenticity of mirrors by checking the digital signature of the landing page against the market's published RSA-4096 public key. This prevents "Man-in-the-Middle" attacks by ensuring the content originates from the server holding the private key.

2FA is implemented via PGP encryption rather than SMS or email. When logging in, the server presents an encrypted challenge message (a random string) encrypted with the user's public key. The user must decrypt this message using their private key and return the decrypted token to prove identity.

The primary defense against phishing is cryptographic verification. The platform advises users to never trust a link blindly but to verify the PGP signature of the login page. Additionally, the system uses unique anti-phishing images generated during account creation that appear on the login screen to verify the site is serving the correct user session.

The platform employs a multi-signature escrow system. Funds deposited for a transaction are held in a neutral wallet controlled by the smart contract code. The funds are only released to the vendor when the buyer finalizes the order, or returned to the buyer if a dispute is resolved in their favor.

The architecture primarily supports Monero (XMR) for its enhanced privacy features (RingCT, stealth addresses) and Bitcoin (BTC) for broad compatibility. XMR is the preferred standard for preserving transaction graph anonymity within the ecosystem.

Transactions have a hard-coded timer (typically 7-14 days depending on the item type). If a buyer does not dispute or finalize the order within this window, the escrow system automatically releases the funds to the vendor to prevent indefinite locking of assets.

A vendor bond is a substantial security deposit required for accounts wishing to list items. This financial barrier to entry is designed to deter spam and fraudulent listings by requiring a significant stake in the ecosystem that can be forfeited in cases of proven misconduct.

Upon account creation, a mnemonic seed phrase is generated. This cryptographic seed is the only method to recover account access or reset a PIN if credentials are lost. The platform does not store personal data like email addresses, making traditional password resets impossible without this phrase.

Captcha failures are often due to clock skew on the user's device or session timeouts inherent to the Tor network's latency. Ensuring the system clock is synchronized to the second and refreshing the Tor circuit (New Identity) often resolves these synchronization issues.