Drughub Darknet Market – Field Notes from a Quiet Corner of the Tor Network

Drughub is one of the few single-vendor shops that survived the post-Alphabay exodus. Instead of hosting thousands of vendors, the site works like a private pharmacy: one PGP-signed menu, one Monero wallet, and a rotating set of Tor mirrors that rarely stay online for more than six weeks. For buyers who distrust large markets but still want escrow protection, the model is attractive—if you can find the current mirror.

Background and Evolution

The original Drughub appeared in late-2018 as a classic “vendor page” linked from Dream Market profiles. After Dream closed, the operator moved to a self-hosted BitWasp instance, then rewrote the backend in early-2021, dropping BitWasp for a minimalist Python/Flask stack. The rewrite removed JavaScript entirely, added support for X-only (no BTC) payments, and introduced a three-of-five multisig escrow that never actually launched; today the market still runs vanilla 2-of-2 escrow with a 14-day auto-finalize clock.

Features and Functionality

Product range is narrow: pressed tablets, blotters, and pre-weighed powder—no bulk, no synthetics requiring cold storage. Listings are text-only, updated weekly via signed inventory.txt files. Buyers place an order by pasting an encrypted shipping message; the server returns a unique Monero sub-address and a 16-character order token. Other notable mechanics:

• No user accounts—each purchase is stateless.
• Built-in “stealth calculator” that recommends decoy options based on destination country.
• PGP-encrypted order status page accessible through any mirror using the order token.
• Optional priority mirror—for an extra 5 % the server sends a v3 onion that is supposedly DDoS-hardened (usually a glorified NGINX rate-limit).

Security Model

Drughub’s threat model assumes the server will be seized eventually, so persistence is avoided: no wallets are stored hot for more than three hours, order data is shred -n 3 -z -u’d after finalization, and the admin claims to rebuild each box from a fresh Tails image. Escrow is simple: funds sit in a Monero wallet controlled by the market until the buyer either finalizes or the 14-day timer expires. Disputes are handled through a single Ricochet IM address; response time ranges from a few hours to two days. Multisig was promised, but after the script failed a testnet run in mid-2022 the idea was quietly shelved.

User Experience

The UI is intentionally spartan: black text on white, no CSS graphics, 15 kB total. On a decent Tor circuit the main page loads in under two seconds, although image-less listings can be cryptic for newcomers (“X9 pellets, 2.2 mg, QDS press, CVV color”). Because there are no accounts, buyers must save the order token and the mirror link; lose both and you have no way to track the pack. The process rewards competent OPSEC—Tails, persistent PGP keys, and a password manager—but punishes casual users who expect a login dashboard.

Reputation and Trust Signals

Trust is built almost entirely on third-party forums: Dread’s /d/Drughub sub has ~4,200 subscribers and new feedback threads appear every few days. The vendor’s public key has remained unchanged since Dream Market, making PGP continuity the strongest trust anchor. Additional signals include:

• Signed canary updated every 30 days (last one posted 9 days ago).
• Consistent 96–98 % acceptance rate on OpenBazaar-style notaries (rare but still tracked).
• No reports of selective scamming in the past 12 months; the only complaints involve slow shipping during Christmas postal delays.

That said, single-vendor markets carry inherent concentration risk—if the operator exits, there is no vendor bond pool to reimburse buyers.

Current Status

As of this month the main v3 mirror has hovered around 92 % uptime (checked every four hours over 14 days). Three fake phishing clones are circulating; they use a homograph onion prefix and request a “wallet activation” deposit—an old trick that still nets small amounts. The admin recently disabled tracked shipping to Germany and the Netherlands, citing “postal profiling,” and now insists on vacuum-sealed business mail only. Prices have crept up roughly 8 % since January, tracking XMR/USD more than supply shortages. No new features are promised; the roadmap is simply “keep mirrors spinning and avoid heat.”

Conclusion

Drughub is a niche solution for buyers who prioritize OpSec minimalism over variety. The absence of user accounts removes phishing vectors but demands greater personal discipline; the single-vendor setup reduces exit-scam surface yet concentrates risk. If you already use Monero, can verify PGP signatures blindfolded, and don’t mind waiting a week for a no-tracking letter, the market delivers consistent quality with refreshingly little drama. For everyone else—especially those wanting bulk, multisig, or a traditional shopping-cart experience—larger multisig markets remain the pragmatic choice. Approach mirrors skeptically, verify the key fingerprint every time, and never finalize early unless you’re comfortable absorbing 100 % counter-party risk.