Uses+of+Tor+&+Market+Adoption


 * Adoption of Tor **

When attempting to project the adoption of Tor, a glance at current applications is necessary so as to establish the environment in which it is deployed. One must only visit one of Tor's most famous hidden services, The Hidden Wiki, to get a fairly thorough display of the plethora of uses for the hidden service feature of the Tor network. (*Note: Many if not all of the references found in the below section will require the use of the Tor software*)

The Tor community is built around open standards and is fueled by countless hours of programming and moderating. This attitude towards the acquisition and sharing of knowledge spilled over into several of the hidden services that can be found on The Hidden Wiki. There are tutorials and sites detailing how to setup PGP/GPG encryption, the de-facto standard for encrypting files and messages from one user to another on the darknet, on your home computer. Other hidden services outline how a user can setup secure communications such as email or instant messaging. In the spirit of growing the community, another hidden service serves to show the user how to start and setup their own hidden service - there are even ideas to get them started posted on The Hidden Wiki. As Tor became known for its ability to provide near seamless anonymity to users, communities arose that created digital crypto-currencies that featured advanced cryptography and anonymity. This currency, bitcoins, is heavily documented and users are encouraged to help perfect its implementation.
 * Tutorials**

With these digital currencies in place, the ability to trade goods and services across the Tor network became rampant. There are money services that offer the user the ability to exchange bitcoins for their native currency or to aid in laundering funds. These illegal money services represent only the tip of the iceburg that is illicit content on the darknet. Contract killersare available through a service that exists on the darknet though no confirmations of their legitimacy have been made readily available. Identity theft, one of the largest contributing factors to the flow of money across the darknet has opened up markets for fake ID's and forgeries. Credit cards bundled in the thousands are also available from the aptly-named CC4ALL hidden service.
 * Marketplace**

Just as any web service on the surface web requires hosting, so too do Tor hidden services and the accompanying technologies. Niche hosting providers exist for those only wanting to host an image forum. Forums for discussion are also easily available to buy and setup. A couple large and popular hidden service providers nearly dominate the easily accessible darknet - FreedomHosting, CircleServices. These services allow any individual to voice their opinion on the darknet free from legal censorship or oversight - one of the driving forces behind the adoption of Tor.
 * Hosting**

With such importance placed on free speech and avoidance of censorship, both ISP and State-sanctioned, there was bound to be a plethora of blogs to express people's concerns and ideas. Programming blogs that detail out an individual's project or suspected coding theories abound. Whistleblowing blogs, along side the infamous Wikileaks though notably smaller, exist to provide informants a secure way to share their information. There is even a Twitter clone on the darknet so that people can anonymously network (oxymoron?). More vitriolic speech is also allowed as an Anti-Goyim (Anti-Non-Jewish) blog demonstrates.
 * Blogs**

As with any online community, users want to be able to converse with one another about their given subject matter of interest. Some forums allow any and every subject to be traversed - much like the popular 4chan forum on the surface web. Political forums, such as this conservative forum, allow individuals to banter over politics anonymously. One interesting service is a forum, the LE+TOR Interchat, that promotes law enforcement officers to post and interact with the rest of the Tor community. One the other end of the spectrum exists Tor hidden services that promote and facilitate those who subscribe to the anarchist mindset.
 * Forums**

One of the largest and growing uses for Tor is for the procurement and sales of illicit or legally-grey drugs. The below screenshot is that of Silk Road, the most popular online marketplace. Immediately, one is greeted with images of the various pills, powders, and marijuana available. Strict seller guidelines along with a buyer and seller feedback system are what allows this eBay-esque marketplace to continue to function. Additionally, Silk Road has introduced an escrow system so as to make up for differences in the price of the good when sold and the price of the good when received. This feature is almost entirely necessary for the site to function due to the high volatility of the bitcoin market.(Chart provided by BitCoinCharts.com under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License)
 * Drugs**