Onboarding: from a clean machine to a funded account
A walkthrough designed for someone who has never used Tor, never bought Monero, and never opened a darknet account. Six steps. Read end to end before starting.
This page assumes you have a working laptop and the ability to install software. It does not assume any prior Tor, Monero, or darknet experience. Read the entire walkthrough before starting; do not improvise on any step.
Step 1. Install Tor Browser, properly.
Go to torproject.org directly. Download the installer for your operating system. Verify the installer's signature against the published Tor Project key before running it; the documentation page on torproject.org has the procedure for your operating system. Do not install Tor Browser from a third-party mirror.
Step 2. Configure Tor Browser, properly.
Open Tor Browser. Click the shield icon top-right. Set the security slider to Safest. This disables JavaScript by default, blocks remote fonts, and disables WebGL. Both Anubis and Nexus storefronts work without JavaScript.
Step 3. Bookmark the atlas.
Bookmark this directory on the clearnet, not the onion address you intend to visit. The atlas updates the mirror table on every prober cycle. A bookmarked onion will eventually fall out of rotation; a bookmarked directory always shows the current set.
Step 4. Pick a market and copy a mirror.
Both Anubis and Nexus publish three mirrors on their detail page. Hit the copy button on the Primary. Paste into Tor Browser. Wait for the page to load. If the platform's anti-DDoS challenge appears, complete it.
Step 5. Create an account.
Username, password, captcha. Use a username and a password you have never used elsewhere. Save both into a password manager. Enable two-factor login from the security panel after first login.
Step 6. Fund the account in Monero.
Both platforms default new buyer accounts to Monero. The deposit screen shows you a fresh address to send to. Send from a Monero wallet you control (Feather, Cake, official CLI). The platform credits the balance after a small number of confirmations. From wallet send to platform credit is typically under fifteen minutes.
Six steps. If you can finish all six, you can place an order. If you cannot finish a step, stop and read the relevant deep-dive page on this atlas.