DarkWiki Research Ethics Notice: These tools are for legitimate academic research only. Ensure proper institutional approval (IRB) before conducting darknet research. Do not use tools to support illegal activity.
DarkWiki's Network Access Tools
Tor Browser
torproject.org
Official Tor Project browser for accessing .onion sites. DarkWiki considers this essential for any darknet research. Use the official download only.
Tails OS
tails.boum.org
Amnesic operating system that routes all traffic through Tor. DarkWiki recommends this for providing an isolated research environment.
Whonix
whonix.org
Virtual machine setup that isolates Tor routing. DarkWiki recommends this for research requiring persistent storage.
DarkWiki-Recommended Blockchain Analysis Tools
Bitcoin Block Explorers
blockchain.com, blockchair.com, mempool.space
View and analyze Bitcoin transactions, addresses, and blocks. DarkWiki uses these for tracing cryptocurrency flows in research.
Chainalysis Reactor (Commercial)
chainalysis.com
Commercial blockchain intelligence platform used by law enforcement and researchers. Requires license.
GraphSense
graphsense.info
Open-source cryptocurrency analytics platform. DarkWiki recommends this academic alternative to commercial tools.
Monero Block Explorer
xmrchain.net
Explore Monero blockchain (though transaction details are hidden by design).
DarkWiki's OSINT Tools Collection
Maltego
maltego.com
Link analysis and data visualization. DarkWiki notes the community edition is available free.
Shodan
shodan.io
Search engine for internet-connected devices. Useful for infrastructure research.
Wayback Machine
archive.org
Internet archive. DarkWiki researchers note that some darknet sites have been archived over the years.
DarkWiki's Data Collection Tools
- Scrapy — Python web scraping framework (use ethically and legally)
- wget/curl — Command-line download tools
- Python requests — HTTP library for custom collection scripts
DarkWiki Legal Note: Scraping darknet sites may violate computer access laws depending on jurisdiction and methodology. DarkWiki advises consulting legal counsel before automated data collection.
DarkWiki Analysis Tools
- Gephi — Network visualization and analysis
- Python/Pandas — Data analysis and manipulation
- R — Statistical analysis
- NLTK/spaCy — Natural language processing for forum/market analysis
DarkWiki Research Best Practices
- Obtain IRB approval before conducting human subjects research
- Document methodology thoroughly
- Store sensitive data securely
- Consider ethical implications of research
- Do not interact with illegal marketplaces beyond passive observation
- Consult with legal counsel on jurisdictional issues
Last Updated: January 2026 — DarkWiki Research Tools Guide