Educational guide – for awareness, not promotion
Introduction: The Dark Web Economy
The dark web is often portrayed as a lawless zone for drugs and hackers – but in reality, it's a complex digital underground economy with a vast range of goods and services. While many items are illegal, not everything on the dark web is criminal. Some users seek anonymity to escape censorship, government surveillance, or to trade legally in privacy-focused environments.
This guide breaks down the most common categories of goods and services traded on darknet marketplaces.
Still the #1 commodity
Darknet drug trade boomed after Silk Road (2011-2013), and despite crackdowns, markets like Tor2Door and Incognito continue the trend.
Popular subcategories:
Cannabis (flowers, hash, oils)
MDMA, LSD, psilocybin (shrooms)
Cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine
Prescription pills (Xanax, Oxycodone, Adderall)
RCs (Research Chemicals) – synthetic alternatives
Why the darknet?
Buyers avoid street deals
Products are shipped discreetly via postal systems
Payments are anonymous (usually Monero)