Operational FAQ

This portal operates as the designated status monitor and directory node for Torzon Market. It provides cryptographically verified .onion entry points, real-time uptime monitoring, and technical documentation. Its purpose is to ensure users connect to the authentic marketplace infrastructure rather than unverified spoofed instances, maintaining the integrity of the user-server connection.

Torzon operates exclusively on the Tor (The Onion Router) network using v3 onion services. This architecture routes traffic through a randomized sequence of three relays (Guard, Middle, Exit) with multi-layer encryption. This ensures that neither the user's IP address nor the server's physical location can be triangulated by network surveillance. Standard CLEarnet browsers (Chrome, Safari) lack the protocol support to resolve these addresses.

Access the market via a verified mirror. Registration requires a unique username, a complex alphanumeric password, and a numeric PIN for withdrawal authorization. No email or personal identification is collected. We mandate the configuration of PGP 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication) immediately post-registration to harden account security against credential stuffing attacks.

Authenticity is validated using the market's root PGP key (available in /mirrors.txt). Upon loading the login page, the server presents a PGP-signed message. Users must import the Torzon public key into their GPG client and verify the signature. A valid signature confirms the server possesses the corresponding private key; an invalid signature indicates a compromised or spoofed connection and requires immediate termination of the session.

Torzon implements server-side hardening, but client-side OpSec is user responsibility. Protocols include: 1) Disabling JavaScript (Standard->Safer setting in Tor). 2) Using a clean operating system like Tails or Whonix. 3) Never decrypting PGP messages within the browser. 4) Avoiding metadata leakage in uploaded images (EXIF data). 5) Utilizing Monero for financial privacy.

Torzon supports a dual-stack payment rail: Monero (XMR) and Bitcoin (BTC). Monero is the preferred standard due to RingCT and stealth addresses, which obfuscate sender, receiver, and amount. Bitcoin is supported but requires external mixing services to achieve comparable anonymity. Both wallet-mode (deposit) and direct-pay (per order) workflows are available.

Funds are held in a multisig escrow contract managed by the market core. The vendor does not receive liquidity until the buyer confirms receipt (Finalize Early options available for trusted vendors). The standard auto-finalization timer is 14 days for physical goods and 48 hours for digital. Disputes pause this timer, triggering moderator intervention.

Buyer accounts incur zero maintenance fees. A 4% platform commission is levied on finalized sales, deducted from the vendor's payout. Network withdrawal fees (mining fees) are dynamic, calculated based on current blockchain congestion (mempool density) to ensure timely confirmation of outgoing transactions.

Vendor privileges require a non-refundable security bond of $300 USD (payable in BTC or XMR). This capital requirement filters low-effort actors. Vendors must also demonstrate PGP competency and adhere to service level agreements regarding shipping times. Established vendors with verifiable reputation on other platforms may apply for a bond waiver via a support ticket.

Strict operational parameters prohibit: CP/CSAM content, fentanyl/carfentanyl and analogues, weaponry/explosives, poisons, hire-for-harm services, and data related to critical infrastructure or terrorism. Automated crawlers and manual moderation teams enforce these bans with zero-tolerance account termination.

If a transaction fails (non-delivery or product mismatch), the buyer initiates a dispute within the escrow window. This opens a tri-party channel (Buyer, Vendor, Moderator). Evidence such as tracking logs, PGP-signed communications, and photographic proof is analyzed. The moderator holds the key to release funds to the rightful party based on the evidence provided.

Connection failures typically stem from: 1) Local clock desynchronization (ensure system time is UTC accurate). 2) Tor circuit congestion (select "New Identity" in Tor browser). 3) Network DDoS attacks. In the event of a persistent timeout, utilize the rotational mirrors provided on our Links page, which are hosted on geographically distributed infrastructure to mitigate localized outages.

Account recovery is only possible if the user has retained their Mnemonic Recovery Phrase generated during registration. Navigate to the login page and select "Recover Account". Enter the username and the mnemonic string to reset the password. Without this phrase, account access is mathematically impossible to restore due to our zero-knowledge architecture.