Launched in mid-2021, TorTaxi is a collection of verifiable links to popular sites on the dark web. It has a presence on both the clearnet (regular web) and darknet (dark web). The TorTaxi admin describes their site as “an anti-phishing resource for darknet sites and (a) record (of) darknet history.” The links hosted on the site mainly consist of bigger darknet markets but also to be found are news sites, forums, search engines, information resources and several services related to the dark web and cryptocurrency.
Almost nothing is known about the site’s admin, but they do maintain a presence on the Dread darknet forum where anyone can ask questions about how Tortaxi works. They can also be contacted via email. In addition to hosting links, Tortaxi also has an excellent chronology of darknet history maintained in its Darknet Journal section. It also maintains a list of scam/phishing sites in its “links to avoid” section (toward the top of the screen). This is a great resource to cross-reference if you ever have doubts about the validity of a site you are about to visit.
How it Works
Though the format is a bit different than darkfail, the concept is basically the same, in that all links hosted on Tortaxi can be independently verified using one’s own PGP utility. The site has been around for a bit less than a year but is considered to be trustworthy, which makes it a great resource for those looking to access the darknet without getting phished or otherwise directed to a scam site. Links on Tortaxi displayed in red mean the site is experiencing prolonged downtime.
Categories of links hosted on TorTaxi include the following:
Indexes
Markets
Forums
News
Search Engines
Image Uploaders
Email & Jabber
Information
Services
Exchanges
EntertainmentNote that Tortaxi does not vouch for the quality of the linked sites themselves, but rather the quality of the link (meaning they will always direct users to their desired location rather than a phishing site). It does not have advertisers and does not receive affiliate commissions, instead relying on donations from its users.
Security Features
Tortaxi claims to not perform any tracking or make use of any JavaScript. Adding “/(market name) to the end of the Tor taxi URL will bring up a full list of mirrors as well as PGP-signed text from the market itself. Granted you have the original PGP key of the market already, you can verify the legitimacy of the links provided on the site.
Conclusion
In all, Tor Taxi is a great resource for darknet market or dark web enthusiasts to have at their disposal. Though somewhat similar to dark.fail, its link collection is a bit more extensive, as is the list of other resources to be found on its page. It is a suitable alternative to dark.fail in case that site should go down and its “links to avoid” section is a handy reference for recognizing scam/phishing sites. The Darknet Journal hosted on Tortaxi is also a must-read for fans of the history of Tor and the dark web as we know it today.
http://tortaxiggvfnpsbryn5x5sfpioq4vabxpzlr236vxxzgwth46ppt3uad.onion/
tortaxi@morke.org
