Onion address: reading the 56 characters of a Vortex onion
From Vortex Wiki, the Vortex knowledge base
The address looks like noise because it is a key, not a name.
Definition
An onion address is the public identifier of a service reachable only through Tor. Current (version 3) addresses have 56 characters followed by .onion.
Where the characters come from
The string is derived from the service's cryptographic key. No one can choose a readable vortex onion, which is why every address looks random.
Why lookalikes work
Attackers generate many keys until one starts with the same few characters as the real address. The start can match while the rest differs completely.
What to compare
Compare the full vortex market onion with a checked source, not only the first characters. The middle and the end are where fakes usually differ.
See also
- Entry queue – Entry queue: the waiting page in front of the Vortex link
- Signed mirror list – Signed mirror list: how operators prove a Vortex URL is theirs
- Recovery phrase – Recovery phrase: the words that can restore an account