How we verify a market mirror

Where an address comes from

Every market publishes its own address set, usually as a signed message on its announcement channel or in a PGP-signed list. We take the addresses from that source, not from a forum post, a screenshot, or a search result. When a market rotates its set, the old addresses stop answering and the new ones appear on that same channel, which is the signal we follow.

The three checks

First, we confirm the address answers over Tor. A dead address is not listed, full stop. Second, we compare it against the signed list from the operator, so the address belongs to the market that claims it and not to a clone. Third, where a market prints its own address inside the login captcha or the page header, we note that, because it is the one check a copy cannot fake at the same time.

What a mirror does and does not prove

A verified address tells you where you are. It does not tell you whether the operator is honest, whether the escrow is fair, or whether a vendor will ship. Those are separate questions with separate evidence, and a directory cannot answer them for you. Uptime means the shop is reachable. It does not mean your money is safe, which is why the rule about not leaving a balance sitting still applies everywhere on this list.