A Comprehensive Guide to the Mega Darknet Market

This guide will teach you all you need to know about connecting to the Mega darknet marketplace.

Table of Contents

Mega is a new Russian-language darknet market that was established to fill the massive hole left by Hydra, which was decommissioned in early April 2022. Despite the fact that a number of competitors have emerged for this reason, Mega appears to be one of the largest such markets, and it is one of the most popular darknet market-related search phrases on Google this year. The market, like Hydra, is organized around “shops,” which are vendors who cater to specific areas and hide orders at authorized “dead drop” sites (hidden things are referred to as “treasures”). Mega, like Hydra, exclusively serves consumers in Russia and a few other Russian Federation countries or territories.

The market states that JavaScript is not required, but your Tor browser will not load until JavaScript is enabled. After passing the loading page and logging in, JavaScript can be disabled while the rest of the market remains available. Mega employs the typical account wallet structure, which means that you must first make a deposit before you can place an order. Payment alternatives supported by the market include Bitcoin, Monero, and Tether, which are all accepted by the majority of vendors. It does not support advanced multisignature or Direct Pay.

While its look and functionalities are somewhat old, it does include some modern components, such as a built-in exchange that also functions as a cryptocurrency mixer, the ability to hide your PGP key from other users, and a night mode. Take notice that Mega is not a market for beginners, since you must grasp how PGP works and the hazards of leaving JavaScript enabled if you chose to do so. You must also understand how dead drops and “treasure” pickups work. If you are not a citizen of the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Georgia, or one of the few other territories served by Mega stores, you should definitely look elsewhere.

The Fundamentals of Mega

Year founded: 2022
Mega Darknet Market Link: mega555kf7lsmb54yd6etzginolhxxi4ytdoma2rf77ngq55fhfcnyid.onion

Cryptocurrencies accepted: Bitcoin (BTC), Monero (XMR), Tether (USDT)
Total Product/Service listings: 19,100+
Listing Categories: Marijuana, Stimulants, Euphoretics, Psychedelics, Ecstasy, Pharmaceuticals, Dissociatives, Opiates, Precursors, Other drugs, Security, Documents / Currency, Carding / Hacking, Cards / Wallets, Schemes / Training, Electronics, Other products, Hacking / Systems Penetration, Design / Coding, Shipping / Transportation, Advertising / Mailings, Currency Exchange, Other services, Courier, Manager, Advertising, Stocks, Other jobs
Multi-signature escrow? No
Finalize Early? No
Cost of vendor bond: $0

Disclaimer: This guide is intended for research purposes only and should not be taken as legal or other advice. The authors of this handbook do not support unlawful conduct in your jurisdiction or others. Use the information in this guide and/or Mega at your own risk..

Don’t Be Duped

Despite the fact that Mega is a newer market, it has already been the target of numerous impersonation attempts, with various phishers setting up false URLs in the hopes of luring users into depositing funds on a bogus site. Mega keeps two clearnet URLs where market mirrors can be found:

Make sure you receive your market link from a reliable source, and utilize the same connection whenever possible. Outside of the Mega-provided sites, it is never a smart idea to search for a link on the clearnet, especially on a social media forum like Reddit, as this is how most customers come across phishing URLs and lose their deposit. When looking for a Mega or any other darknet market link, we recommend sticking to the same, reputable sources. Upon login, Mega displays a long list of mirrors; it is recommended that you copy and paste them all for subsequent usage.

Making an Account

Creating an account on Mega is really straightforward if you understand Russian. After locating a valid URL and completing the basic captcha, you will be directed to the login screen. To make an account, begin by clicking the Registration button (“еистрaи”) in the upper-right corner of the screen. This will take you to the account creation screen, which appears as follows:

Buyer and vendor accounts are the two sorts of accounts. By default, the screen is configured to Buyer account creation. Simply enter a distinct username (not related to any of your other online identities) and a password twice. After that, scroll down to the captcha and adjust the slider until the letters appear in the captcha field. Then, in the box below, type the letters. When entered correctly, it should appear like this:

To proceed, click the orange Registration button. If you successfully and timely typed the captcha, you will be logged into the market, met by a notification at the top that says “To confirm, you must agree to the updated rules” (“то родолит долн одтвердит оновленне рaвила”). Read Mega’s terms of service, which are provided directly below, to gain a better grasp of what to expect when utilizing the market. When you’ve decided to accept them, click the orange “Confirm” button at the bottom. You will then be taken to the main market page, where you can begin browsing.

Making a PGP Key

To receive encrypted communications from other users, you must connect a public PGP key to your address. This is essential for receiving crucial information about your order. To begin, go to the upper-right corner of the screen and click on your username. Next, copy and paste your PGP key into the text box called “PGP-Kл.” When entered correctly, it will look like this:

There are two check boxes next to the PGP key entry area. Clicking the first box makes your PGP key available to other users, while checking the second box requires you to decrypt a message encrypted with your key in order to log into the market. We recommend that you configure your account with a PGP key that has never been used before, thus there is little risk in clicking the first box. The second option (2FA) is a wonderful way to ensure that no one else can log into your account except you, therefore we recommend checking it as well if you value your account security.

After you’ve supplied your PGP public key and customized the parameters, click the orange Save button to proceed. The screen will reload, and your PGP key will now be associated with your account. It should be noted that there is no confirmation process for PGP keys added to your Mega profile. This implies you should make sure you enter the PGP key correctly the first time. If it is not, and you have 2FA enabled, you will have difficulty regaining access to your account.

Making a Down Payment

Because Mega employs a typical, exchange-controlled account wallet structure, you must first locate your account before placing an order. This offers certain concerns because it makes them more prone to commit an exit fraud. We recommend just depositing enough funds to cover one order at a time to limit the impact that such an event could have on your assets held there. When you’re ready to make a deposit, go to the upper-right corner of the screen and click on the account balance (next to your username). This will take you to the deposit screen, which appears as follows:

Mega accepts three distinct cryptocurrencies as deposit methods (most are accepted by all vendors but double-check to make sure your vendor accepts the coin you are depositing before making a deposit). We prefer using Monero (XMR) wherever possible, and we will explain how to make an XMR deposit in this post. To begin, select the “XMR” tab to show the Monero address.

You will be given an XMR address in text and QR code form, to which you will make your deposit. After six confirmations, deposits are credited to your account, and fresh addresses are produced after each deposit (do not re-use old addresses as your funds will likely not be credited to your account). Withdrawals can also be conducted for a cost of 0.01 XMR by entering a withdrawal address and amount to be withdrawn under the deposit address QR.

For individuals who want to deposit one coin and convert it to another, Mega has its own built-in exchange. This option is available in the Exchange (“мeн”). For a nominal price, you can trade any of Mega’s three supported coins for one another. Simply choose your coin pair and input the amount you want to swap. For your coin amount, you will be given a conversion rate. If you agree with the exchange amount, click the orange Exchange button to confirm. The process will take between 20 and 40 minutes to finish.

Exploring Mega

Browsing the Mega darknet market is not as simple or straightforward as it is on other sites (Hydra included), and it takes some practice to find the item(s) you are looking for. The two possibilities for how the market is divided are the leftmost two tabs at the top of the screen, Catalog (“aтало”) and Shops (“ааин”). The main market page also has a few ways to filter listings, including category, type, city, area, number, and price. A general search option is also available. Mega supports the following listing categories (and subcategories):

Substances

Marijuana (cones, hashish, other)
Stimulants (alpha-pvp, amphetamine, cocaine, MDPV, other)
Euphoretics (mephedrone, MDMA, MDA, other)
Psychedelics (2C-B, LSD, NBOM, DMT, mushrooms, other)
Ecstasy
Pharmaceuticals
Dissociatives
Opiates
Precursors
Other drugs

Products

Security
Documents / Currency
Carding / Hacking
Cards / Wallets
Schemes / Training
Electronics
Other products

Services

Hacking / Systems Penetration
Design / Coding
Shipping / Transportation
Advertising / Mailings
Currency Exchange
Other services

Jobs

Courier
Manager
Advertising
Stocks
Other jobs

Because this market is only intended for those in Russia and neighboring countries/territories, you should probably filter listings by area and city. Shops on Mega serve a wide range of areas in Russia and a few additional countries, the most notable of which are Belarus, Ukraine, and Georgia. It is difficult to find sellers who will ship abroad, and it is not advised that you attempt to have a shipment shipped from Mega because you will most likely encounter issues.

When you choose a category and a city/area from the main market page, the screen will immediately refresh to display listings that match the parameters you’ve chosen. Vendors with a long track record and a high number of favorable client evaluations typically have their listings shown first.

We can see the following information about each listing from this view: title, category/subcategory, vendor name, and location. An orange checkbox next to the listing title indicates that “ready-made treasures” for this item are available (they are ready to be picked up at any time). A green checkmark indicates that the item can be pre-ordered (and will be dropped as a “prize” after the order is placed). To contact the vendor about the item, click the gray mail icon.

Clicking on a listing displays further information about it, such as a thorough description of the item, where it may be picked up as a “prize” (and at what price at that place), what coins the shop accepts for item payment, and reviews of the item by prior customers.

The listing page also includes information on the vendor store, such as the Mega registration date and the username of the specific salesman in charge of that item. There are also further images of the item. Item prices frequently fluctuate per listing and are shown in BTC and RUB.

Another method of searching the market is by vendor store (“aаин”), which is useful if you are looking for shops in your region or if you already trust the business and want to peruse their catalog. Some vendors specialize in a single sort of goods, while others provide listings for a variety of items. Shops can also be filtered by area, city, and the types of things they sell. When you click on a vendor shop, it will expose its “store,” or all of its current listings.

Click on the shop’s name to see more information about it. The full list of registered users who participate in the shop’s administration and/or delivery service, as well as links to contact them, may be found here. You can also find information written by the store owners and a list of the most current feedbacks provided by customers who have purchased their things.

Making a Purchase

Before placing an order, it is critical to understand the following: Mega employs the “dead drop” approach, referring to orders placed in secret as “treasures.” This means that orders are not delivered via the postal system, but are instead hidden by vendors in very specialized locations that are revealed to the buyer after purchase. Before placing an order, you must first locate a shop that serves your area. There are two methods for “treasure” placement:

Ready-made. Also referred to as “instant” orders, these are pre-hidden “treasures” that have already been placed and are ready for immediate pickup.
Pre-order. These are “treasures” that are placed after an order for the item has been received and accepted.

Some stores use both approaches, while others only use one. To minimize confusion, it is critical to understand which technique the shop is employing for the specific item you are purchasing. All physical item orders submitted on Mega are subject to the dead drop mechanism. Digital items, on the other hand, are typically made available to the buyer immediately after purchase.

After you’ve identified a tangible item you want to buy and checked that the business has it in stock in your location, choose the currency you’ll use to pay for it (BTC, XMR or USDT). During the coin selection procedure, the price to be paid for the item will be displayed in RUB and the currencies accepted by the vendor.

Then, click the green Buy button. If you have enough money in your wallet to cover the transaction, you will be taken to the order confirmation screen. You will be able to see the details of your order before deciding whether or not to place it here. This includes double-checking the drop area’s location and if the “prize” is ready-made or pre-ordered. If you are happy with the price you will pay for this item, click the Confirm button to continue.

The order will then be sent to the shop, which might accept or reject it. If the business approves your order, they will email you PGP-encrypted directions on where to find the “prize,” often known as a “quest.” You should keep in mind that if this is not a ready-made order, you will have to wait until the vendor has hidden the item somewhere. Before an order may be cancelled, shops have up to 48 hours to reveal the location of the “prize.” By clicking on the shopping cart symbol in the upper menu bar area, you may view the progress of your orders.

If the business does not react within 48 hours with the “quest” instructions, cash will be automatically returned to your wallet. If the item you ordered does not arrive at the specified drop point or if you have any other issues with it, you can open a dispute through the order status screen. This will cause Mega personnel to contact the retailer on your behalf to assist you in resolving the issue. If the staff discovers that the business did not properly prepare and place the order, a refund will be granted to your wallet balance.

Mega Darknet Market URL – mega555kf7lsmb54yd6etzginolhxxi4ytdoma2rf77ngq55fhfcnyid.onion

Summary

Though still much smaller in terms of listings and shops than Hydra, Mega has expanded significantly in recent months as more customers and sellers from the previous market discover it and decide to trust it. By this time, they have a wide range of listings for all the normal, in-demand physical commodities, as well as some options for professional services not commonly found on other markets. Mega provides “free registration” for customers and sellers, and does not charge shops to open shop on its market. It does, however, charge retailers $100 per month to operate and a 5% commission on all purchases under 100,000 RUB (this percentage decreases for higher sales amounts).

Mega contains various modern implementations that Hydra did not have, making it a bit of an improvement from the earlier market in that regard. It particularly supports XMR and USDT. The market appears to be on the verge of implementing QIWI, a Russian payment services provider, but that option is currently unavailable. Mega appears to have all of the infrastructure necessary to conduct a professional operation, albeit its reliance on a centralized account wallet mechanism makes it a potential target for an exit scam.

It’s odd that JavaScript is required to load the site, even if the market claims not to use it. The number of places served by Mega-hosted shops is also significantly reduced in comparison to Hydra’s former reach. The fact that it has amassed a sizable userbase in just a few months, on the other hand, is unmistakably in its favor, and possible losses can be mitigated by never holding big quantities of coin in your market wallet account.