10 Aug No More Anonymous: A Guide to Accessing Silk Road Reloaded
Disclaimer: The reader is warned about the sorry fate of the previous versions of the Silk Road dark web marketplace were shut down by US authorities to curb its illegal activities. This was a site founded on the Tor anonymous network and was a Darknet Market that could only be accessed through special software. Be warned that it might still be illegal to access it.
Today, Silk Road Reloaded has lifted its veil of anonymity and gone from the Tor to the Invisible Internet Project (I2P). This market is often confused with Silk Road 3, which is a completely different website and is still on Tor.
While many look upon the name as a clever marketing ploy thanks to the infamous dark web marketplace, the founders of Silk Road Reloaded claim no connection to the original creators and only wish to follow in the footsteps of the first Silk Road.
Here’s a short guide to travelling this ancient trade route in the digital world.
Getting Started: I2P and PGP
- Use a VPN app to encrypt your digital footprint so you remain completely anonymous in the deep web.
- Download and setup I2P. The primary difference between Tor and I2P is that I2P can be accessed by regular browsers but it’s just difficult to configure.
- If you wish to seriously consider buying then do install Tails OS instead of using Windows or Mac for further anonymity.
- Now start up your VPN, go to the Start Menu and ‘Start I2P (restartable)’. This will open up a browser window.
- Next, set your bandwidth which is explained in the I2P welcome menu. This is something that is individual to every user.
- The next important step is changing the browser’s proxy settings and set to Anonymous.
- We also need a free PGP software that can be easily download and installed.
- When you are done, run Kleopatra. Select ‘File’ > ‘New Certificate’ > ‘Create a Personal open PGP key pair’. Enter in a false name and e-mail.
- ‘Next’ then ‘Create Key’. Use a strong password and you should be done now but do keep Kleopatra open
- Now, you should be able to copy-paste this link into your browser and access the Silk Road Reloaded:http://hyn3mwmyeovcn2paujxur2eury2ufqpoahvbbqshfoggljn25tra.b32.i2p
Registering for an account
- When Silk Road Reloaded loads, you should be able to see the home page which is a dark grey background and white text and green flourishes. You will need to register on the site using the PGP key you generated earlier.
- Go back to Kleopatra, right click on the certificate and select ‘Export Certificates’. Save this key in Notepad for reference.
- The site will now ask you to decrypt a message. Copy the message and go back to Kleopatra and click ‘Clipboard’ > ‘Decrypt/Verify’. When you verify your password, the message will be automatically saved to your clipboard. Now go back and paste the message.
- Create a strong password and you are done.
You are ready to browse through this interesting underground internet marketplace.
