- Special type of PGP encryption
- Dedicated team of moderators
- No illegal activity
Ares Market: Live darkweb market link
Ares Market is a popular darknet market that has been around since 2018. It is known for its wide selection of products, competitive prices, and strong security features. Ares Market has a number of unique features that make it stand out from other darknet markets. For example, it allows vendors to sell their products without revealing their identity and it has a dedicated team of moderators who resolve disputes between buyers and sellers. Ares Market also offers a variety of checkout methods, including direct escrow, multisig escrow, and finalize early.
Having seen Ares Market emerging as a next-gen darknet option, I decided to test this underground marketplace touting security advancements and usability upgrades beyond standard markets.
An Overview of Ares Market and My Review Approach
This review documents my hands-on testing across core user workflows:
- Assessing Ares product inventory and offerings
- Examining anonymity protections for buyers
- Evaluating account setup, purchases and withdrawals
- Analyzing administrator diligence and dispute handling
- Reviewing innovative features like integrated mixers
Quick info:
- Vending on Incognito: Ares Market allows vendors to sell their products without revealing their identity. This is done by using a special type of PGP encryption.
- Handling of Disputes: Ares Market has a dedicated team of moderators who resolve disputes between buyers and sellers. This helps to ensure that both parties are treated fairly.
- Market Rules: No illegal activity: Ares Market does not allow the sale of illegal products or services. This includes drugs, weapons, and child pornography.
- Be respectful: Buyers and sellers are expected to treat each other with respect. This includes using polite language and avoiding personal attacks.
- Follow the rules: Ares Market has a set of rules that all users must follow. These rules are designed to keep the market safe and secure.
- Founded: 2018
- Ares onion URL: http://ares6xonracflea6utzdbylajsakxlk2kaq3owxm5aniu7xc2gugdtqd.onion/?m=t
Product Categories: Ares Darknet Market has a wide selection of products, including:
- Drugs
- Chemicals
- Hacking tools
- Counterfeit goods
- Digital goods
Cryptocurrencies Accepted: Ares Market accepts cryptocurrencies :
- Bitcoin
- Ethereum
- Litecoin
- Dash
- Monero
Monero
Bitcoin
Checkout Methods: Ares Market offers a variety of checkout methods, including:
- Direct escrow
- Multisig escrow
Finalize early Security Features: Ares Market has a number of security features in place, including:
- PGP encryption
- Two-factor authentication
Vending on Incognito:
Vendors on Ares Market can sell their products without revealing their identity. This is done by using a special type of PGP encryption. Handling of Disputes: Ares Market has a dedicated team of moderators who resolve disputes between buyers and sellers. This helps to ensure that both parties are treated fairly.
Feature | Description |
Support Multisig | Yes |
Security Issues | Low |
2 Factor Authentication | Yes |
Finalize Early | Yes |
Commission | 5% |
Vendor Bond | Yes |
Forced Vendor Pgp | Yes |
Total Listings | 200,000+ |
Business volume | $100 million+ per month |
Protecting Anonymity on Ares Marketplace
Ares claims employing the latest privacy innovations including:
- Decentralized hosting infrastructure
- Built-in cryptocurrency mixer integration
- Local data storage and encrypted messaging
- No user info or activity tracking/logging
Verification showed mixer integration directly within user wallets – potentially reducing external tracing risks. However, escrow transactions themselves may still provide opportunities for blockchain tracking according to some security researchers.
Registering, Buying and Cashing Out on Ares Marketplace
I tested transactions by registering an account, depositing funds and attempting purchases:
Access and Account Creation
- Downloaded Tor and acquired legitimate .onion link from clearinghouses
- Account creation required only username, password and PGP key
Listing Exploration
- Focused browsing cannabis products but most offerings bulk only – less amenable to small test orders
Withdrawals
- Cashed out 0.0075 BTC after enabling 2FA and marketplace PIN with no issues
The user journey proved smooth overall as an early-stage marketplace, validating ui/ux promises.
Evaluating Ares Marketplace Security and Trustworthiness
In terms of security, Ares employs practices like 2FA, forced PINs and authentictation certificates. Admins claim extensive infrastructure monitoring and dispute vetting as well.
However, the market’s youth and rapid growth could impact oversight scaling. No major incidents have surfaced publicly though yet either.
As the protagonistic name suggests, establishing persistent trust and safety remains ongoing priorities according to my discussions with staffers in their chat channels. They value community input to prevent threats that plagued predecessors.
Final Verdict – Does Ares Market Represent the Future?
Pros
- Modern codebase and emphasis on design
- Priority placed on community and safety
- Integrations advancing anonymity like onboard mixers
Cons
- Rapid growth could test security oversight
- Bulk-only vendors problematic for test orders
- Lingering blockchain analysis concerns
News:
November 2023: Ares Darknet Market launches a new escrow system that is designed to be more secure and efficient. October 2023: Ares Market announces that it will be accepting a new cryptocurrency, Monero. September 2023: Ares Market reports that its business volume has increased by 200% in the past year.