Most dark web activity revolves around a handful of topics

Analysis of a six-year dataset (2020–2026) covering 25,000+ dark web sites and 11 million archived snapshots finds discussions concentrated in four broad categories (community, transactions, infrastructure, products), with most volume in community and transactional topics. Researchers identified 55 recurring topic groups dominated by a small number of themes, long median topic lifespans (~75 months), and gradual fading of declining topics rather than abrupt disappearance.