Question 1

How does Dark Matter Onion handle DDoS mitigation?

Accepted Answer

The infrastructure employs a rotational mirror system combined with proof-of-work (PoW) filters at the entry nodes. This decentralized architecture allows traffic to be distributed across multiple hidden service descriptors, preventing single points of failure during high-volume attacks.

Question 2

What is the PGP verification protocol for mirrors?

Accepted Answer

Verified mirrors are cryptographically signed using the primary administration private key. Researchers verify these by importing the public key, checking the fingerprint, and validating the signed message block containing the .onion address and timestamp.

Question 3

Why is Monero (XMR) preferred over Bitcoin (BTC)?

Accepted Answer

Monero utilizes RingCT (Ring Confidential Transactions) and stealth addresses to obfuscate transaction origins, amounts, and destinations. This provides a privacy layer that transparent ledgers like Bitcoin cannot offer without auxiliary mixing services.

Question 4

How does the automated escrow system function?

Accepted Answer

The escrow protocol holds funds in a multi-signature wallet or temporary holding address until specific release conditions are met. If a dispute arises, an automated mediation logic or administrator intervention is triggered to adjudicate based on provided proofs.

Question 5

What is the purpose of the mnemonic seed phrase?

Accepted Answer

The mnemonic seed phrase is a cryptographic recovery key generated upon account creation. It is the sole method for recovering access to an account if the password is lost, as the system does not store plaintext credentials or email associations.

Question 6

Why do onion links change frequently?

Accepted Answer

Onion links are rotated periodically as a defensive measure against network mapping and denial-of-service attacks. This 'moving target' defense ensures that if one node is compromised or flooded, others remain accessible.

Question 7

Is JavaScript required to access the hidden service?

Accepted Answer

No. The architecture is designed to function fully without JavaScript. Security best practices within the Tor Browser recommend setting the security slider to 'Safest', which disables JavaScript entirely to prevent browser fingerprinting.

Question 8

How does the auto-finalize timer work?

Accepted Answer

The auto-finalize timer is a smart contract-like mechanism that automatically releases escrowed funds to the recipient after a set duration (typically 7-14 days) if no dispute is raised by the depositor.

Question 9

What distinguishes a phishing mirror from a verified mirror?

Accepted Answer

Phishing mirrors often use proxy attacks to intercept credentials. A verified mirror is mathematically proven via PGP signature. Researchers must always verify the PGP signature of the landing page against the known public key before entering credentials.

Question 10

How is network latency managed across the Tor network?

Accepted Answer

Latency is inherent to onion routing due to the three-hop circuit. The Dark Matter infrastructure utilizes high-bandwidth guard nodes and optimized server-side caching to minimize response times, though latency will always be higher than clearweb connections.

Question 11

What encryption standards are used for internal messaging?

Accepted Answer

Internal communications are encrypted using a combination of RSA-4096 for key exchange and AES-256 for message payload encryption. Users are also encouraged to use client-side PGP encryption for all sensitive data.

Question 12

How does the bond system function?

Accepted Answer

The bond system requires entities wishing to list services to lock a specific amount of cryptocurrency as a security deposit. This economic stake disincentivizes malicious behavior, as the bond is forfeited if protocol violations are confirmed.

Question 13

What is the Canary system?

Accepted Answer

A warrant canary is a regularly updated message signed by the administration's PGP key. It confirms that the infrastructure has not been compromised or seized by external actors. If the canary is outdated or missing, the service is considered compromised.

Question 14

How to safely verify the main PGP key?

Accepted Answer

The main PGP key should be obtained from multiple independent sources (indexes, forums, historical records). Once obtained, it should be imported into a local GPG keychain and marked with 'ownertrust' only after fingerprint verification.

Question 15

Can wallet addresses be reused?

Accepted Answer

While technically possible, address reuse is strongly discouraged. The system generates unique subaddresses for every transaction to prevent blockchain analysis heuristics from linking multiple deposits to a single identity.