MARS · FEATURE BY FEATURE · 2026
Why Mars
Plenty of shops on Tor call themselves a market. Few run the parts that actually protect a buyer. This page sets the pieces Mars is built on next to the corners a throwaway shop quietly cuts.
What a market worth using runs, and a shop skips
| Feature | Worth using | Throwaway |
|---|---|---|
| Payment custodywho holds the coin | Escrow until you release | Straight to the vendor |
| Currencywhat you pay in | Monero, amounts hidden | Bitcoin, fully traceable |
| Account loginsecond factor | 2FA and a PGP challenge | A password and nothing more |
| Address proofhow you trust it | A canon you can verify | A link from a stranger |
| Page hardeningscripts off | Loads at Tor Safest | Breaks without scripts on |
| If a deal soursyour recourse | A moderated dispute | Message the seller, hope |
None of this promises that any purchase is wise. It is a checklist for the platform underneath, nothing about the people selling on it.
Three features that separate the two columns
Escrow beats trust
When the coin sits with the market until you release it, a vendor who vanishes gets nothing. Pay straight to a wallet and one bad actor keeps your money.
Monero beats Bitcoin
Monero hides the amount and the parties by default. A Bitcoin trail can be followed forever by anyone who cares to look.
Two factors beat one
A stolen password opens a single-factor account at once. A second factor, with a key challenge on top, turns a leak into a locked door.
How escrow moves a payment without handing it over
Escrow is the one feature that shifts the odds most. The coin leaves your wallet, yet it does not reach the vendor until you say the order arrived. If it never does, the dispute path opens instead.
Questions buyers weigh first
Why does Mars settle in Monero rather than Bitcoin?
Bitcoin records every move on a public ledger, so one traced address can unravel a whole history. Monero hides the sum and the wallets by design, which is why serious markets default to it.
What does escrow actually protect me from?
Mostly from a vendor who takes the coin and sends nothing. With the payment held, a no-show ends in a dispute rather than a loss. It does not vouch for quality, only for delivery.
Does a longer mirror list make a market safer?
No. Extra addresses only help you reach the same market when one route is down. Safety comes from the signature behind the addresses, not from how many are listed.
Once the features check out
Confirm the address on the comparison sheet, then follow the access guide to set up Tor, import the key, and pay through escrow. The mirror list holds every route we track.