The Current Status of the Hidden Wiki

If you’ve spent any time looking into the dark web, you’ve probably heard about the Hidden Wiki. For years, it’s been one of the most talked-about directories on Tor, serving as a gateway to all kinds of sites that don’t show up on Google. But what’s really going on with it these days? Let’s take a look at where things stand.

Think of the Hidden Wiki as a phone book for the dark web. It’s basically just a collection of .onion links organized into categories. Some versions list everything from forums and marketplaces to news sites and privacy-focused tools. The problem is that anyone can edit it, leading to wildly varying quality and safety for those links.

There isn’t just one Hidden Wiki anymore. When the original got taken down years ago, dozens of copycats popped up. Some try to be legitimate directories. Others are straight-up traps filled with phishing links and scam sites designed to steal your information or cryptocurrency.

Law enforcement has gotten really good at tracking down people who think they’re anonymous on Tor. Throughout 2024 and into 2025, we’ve seen some massive operations that show just how vulnerable the dark web has become.

Operation RapTor, which wrapped up in May 2025, resulted in 270 arrests across ten countries. Authorities seized over $200 million in cash and cryptocurrency, more than two metric tons of drugs including 144 kilograms of fentanyl, and over 180 firearms. This wasn’t just about busting small-time dealers either. The operation targeted major marketplaces like Nemesis, Tor2Door, Bohemia, and Kingdom Markets, using intelligence gathered from previous takedowns to identify vendors, buyers, and administrators.

One of the bigger arrests was Rui-Siang Lin, who ran Incognito Market under the alias “Pharoah.” He was arrested at JFK Airport in May 2024 after his marketplace facilitated over $100 million in narcotics sales globally. The site had been operating since October 2020 before it shut down in March 2024, and it was designed to look and work like a regular online shopping site, complete with customer service.

These cases show that the idea of being completely untraceable on the dark web is mostly a myth at this point. Investigators are using everything from blockchain analysis to old-fashioned detective work to connect the dots.

What’s interesting is how criminals are adapting to all this pressure. According to Europol, there’s been a noticeable shift away from large marketplaces toward smaller, single-vendor shops on the dark web. This helps them avoid detection and the fees associated with larger platforms. Instead of operating on well-known marketplaces that might get shut down, vendors are setting up their own small storefronts.

The types of scams are evolving, too. While drugs remain the main product sold on the dark web, 2023 saw increases in prescription drug trafficking and bizarre scams like fake hitman services. These fake services are designed to extract payment from people without delivering anything, obviously.

Given how aggressive law enforcement has become, the Hidden Wiki has become even riskier than before. Many of the marketplaces and services it links to are either honeypots run by investigators or scam sites run by criminals looking to exploit curious visitors.

The sites that do still operate are constantly being monitored. The idea that you can just browse the Hidden Wiki and access some secret corner of the internet without consequences doesn’t hold up anymore. Even if a site isn’t illegal itself, the services it links to might put you on law enforcement’s radar.

From a security perspective, visiting links from the Hidden Wiki is asking for trouble. Many of them are designed to compromise your system, steal credentials, or track your activity. The lack of quality control means you never really know what you’re clicking on.

The dark web isn’t going anywhere, but it’s definitely not the safe haven people once thought it was. As one European commissioner put it, these operations prove that criminal gangs operate across borders both online and offline, and coordinated international action can effectively reach them.

What does this mean for site administrators and anyone considering operating services linked from sites like the Hidden Wiki? The barriers to entry might be low, but so is the anonymity you think you have. Cryptocurrency transactions can be traced. Hosting providers cooperate with authorities. And operational security mistakes happen all the time.

For the average person curious about the Hidden Wiki, the reality is pretty simple: it’s not worth the risk. Most of what you’ll find is either illegal, dangerous, or both. The supposed anonymity of Tor doesn’t protect you as much as you’d think, especially if you’re accessing illegal marketplaces or services.

The current status of the Hidden Wiki is that it exists in a much more hostile environment than ever before. It still gets traffic from people looking for uncensored information or privacy tools, but it’s also packed with threats. Law enforcement operations like RapTor show that the tide has turned significantly against dark web marketplaces and their users.

If you’re running a security blog, the key takeaway for your readers is this: the dark web is not a secure place to conduct any kind of business, illegal or otherwise. The arrests keep piling up, the tactics keep getting better, and the idea of true anonymity online is mostly an illusion when serious resources are dedicated to tracking you down.

The Hidden Wiki might still exist as a concept, but its golden age is long gone. What remains is a shell of outdated links, scam sites, and honeypots waiting for the next person to stumble in, thinking they’ve found some secret internet underworld. Stay away from it, and if your readers are curious about privacy and security, point them toward legitimate tools and practices instead.