- ... operational security
- ... anonymous signup email
- ... anonymous money
- ... anonymous domain name
- ... anonymous web hosting
- ... congratulations (!), but...
It’s quite easy to set up a blog where you don’t disclose your real identity to your website’s visitors. All you need to do is register a domain, set up a website with a hosting provider, and use a pseudonym to publish your content. If that level of anonymity is good enough for you, you can stop reading here.
We said it already: setting up a website where your real identity is hidden from the public is not that difficult. But here’s the problem—your hosting provider usually still knows who you are.
Why? Because it’s almost impossible to register a domain without revealing personal information linked to your identity.
Think about it: how closely is your email address tied to your real name?
Now think about your payment method. Most of the time, domain names and server space are paid with a credit card or a bank account—and those are directly connected to your identity.
Yes, Bitcoin is becoming more common as a payment option. But if you bought your Bitcoin through an exchange like Coinbase or Binance, where identity verification is required, your coins are already tied to your name. And even if they weren’t: Bitcoin is based on a public ledger. Wallet addresses are visible, and every single transaction that’s ever happened on the blockchain can be traced.
And don’t forget: Every time you visit a website, your IP address is visible. Your ISP can log your entire browsing history. And companies like Google have created highly advanced tracking tools that can identify you just by analyzing your browsing habits.
So, as you can see, if you truly want to start an anonymous website anonymously, there’s a lot more to consider than just choosing a pseudonym.
This post is a summary of the steps we took to launch term7.info. We won’t go into every detail—because if you’re serious about doing this yourself, it depends on your own risk tolerance, preferences, and the choices you make.
And most importantly: proceed at your own risk.
We can only share what we’ve learned.
And how do you know you can trust us? You don’t.
Always do your own research, and verify any information you’re given—especially when it comes to privacy and anonymity online.
... operational security
Opsec is short for Operational Security. If your goal is to anonymously start an anonymous website, you need to stay in the shadows, at every step.
1. Start with a Hardened Setup
Before doing anything, make sure your computer is secured and respects your privacy.
- Ideally, use a dedicated laptop for sensitive, anonymous activities only.
- Choose one of the following:
- If you must use macOS:
- Install Whonix in a virtual machine (unless you're on an Apple Silicon Mac, which isn’t compatible)
- Max out privacy and security settings:
- Enable full disk encryption
- Enable the internal firewall
- Disable iCloud, Siri, Spotlight Suggestions
- Set a firmware password
- And more...
Need help? Check out this excellent guide on GitHub:
macOS-Security-and-Privacy-Guide
Also useful: PrivacySexy, a tool to automate some hardening steps.
Avoid Windows. It is fundamentally hostile to privacy.
2. Always Mask Your IP Address
Never browse the internet with your real IP address exposed.
- Avoid commercial VPNs unless:
- You run your own VPN
- You paid anonymously (e.g. Monero, in cash)
- Better: use Tor.
- If you're using Tails or Whonix, Tor is already built in.
- On Linux or macOS: download and use the Tor Browser Bundle.
It’s slower, yes—but safer.
If you’re considering combining a VPN with Tor (VPN-over-Tor or Tor-over-VPN), first understand the risks and benefits of each approach. This is not beginner-level territory.
3. Don't Cross the Streams
Be extremely careful with your identity and metadata.
- Never log in to your real social media accounts while working on your anonymous site.
- Don't use your personal email address for anonymous activity.
- Create a new identity—a name, email, and behavior profile that is entirely separate from your real life.
- Never mix the two. Even once. One mistake can deanonymize everything.
4. Learn and Stay Sharp
Digital privacy is a discipline. Keep learning.
Start with:
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Online Anonymity
(Tor v3 Onion version):
http://thgtoallkcxrdv37u6knsc3pumk6cq6lqmcqlw3j5vkmyahkxive4jyd.onion/guide.html
Also check out our own link collection and other recommended resources and tutorials.
5. Opsec Doesn’t End With Your Computer
Online anonymity means nothing if your physical-world behavior leaks data:
- Be mindful of cameras and sensors in shops, buildings, streets
- Avoid using smart devices in public
- Don’t auto-connect to public Wi-Fi
- Know that Bluetooth headphones, smartphones, and RFID cards can leak geolocation data
- Sometimes even when turned off
Even appearing in someone else’s photo (later uploaded to social media) can lead to identification.
Companies like Clearview AI already collect this kind of data for facial recognition. Law enforcement does too.
Final Advice:
If you're conducting sensitive activity in public, leave your smartphone, Bluetooth accessories, and RFID-enabled cards at home.
And always - stay aware of your environment.
To continue reading this post anonymously on our hidden Tor v3 onion page, open this link in your Tor Browser:
... anonymous signup email
You need an email address to sign up for almost every service online.
But if you use your personal email address, you immediately give up your anonymity. That address is likely tied to your real name, phone number, or other accounts—making it easy to connect your identity across services.
To avoid this, use a temporary anonymous email address.
In our example, we use anonbox—a free service made available and maintained by the Chaos Computer Club. It lets you receive emails at a disposable address that expires after 24 hours. You can't send mail with it, but it’s perfect for registering accounts anonymously.$
Step-by-step example:
We’ll use a temporary anonbox address to sign up for a permanent ProtonMail account:
- Visit anonbox.net and generate a temporary address
- Use that address to register an account with ProtonMail
- ProtonMail will send a confirmation email to the anonbox inbox
- Once verified, your ProtonMail inbox becomes your permanent, encrypted address for anonymous use
This ProtonMail account will now be used to sign up for other services, for example, your hosting provider, without tying anything back to your real identity.
Why ProtonMail?
- It’s based in Switzerland, outside of EU and US jurisdiction
- It’s protected by strong Swiss privacy laws
- It offers end-to-end encryption
- And it doesn't require personal details to sign up
Just make sure you always access ProtonMail through Tor (or at least with a masked IP), and don’t connect it to any services that are tied to your real identity.
... how to create a free anonymous ProtonMail account:
- Open your Tor Browser and visit ProtonMail's hidden Tor v3 onion site.
- Create a free account: Proton Free / CHF 0 and pick username and password for your anonymous identity. During the next step Proton requires to send you an email or an SMS to be used for one-time verification. Don't reveal your personal email or phone number! You also might have to complete a CAPTCHA to confirm that you are human.
- Visit anonbox, generate your temporary email address and open your temporary mailbox. Until you receive your first mail, this will be just an empty page.
- Back at the Proton Signup Page, enter your temporary as your one-time verification method and wait for Proton to send you a verification code.
- Next, refresh you temporary mailbox. The email sent by Proton will look something like this:
- The content of this email will contain your verification code encoded in base64. To decode your verification code, visit base64decode, copy and paste the string of numbers and letters that contains your verification code from the email into the data field and click on <DECODE> to be able to read it. In this particular example, WW91cBQ[...]jU5Mw== decodes to:
- Afterwards, enter the code into the required field to complete your verification with ProtonMail and wait for your account to be set up. Don't set up a recovery email. You can generate a recovery phrase in your email settings later.
Please note: This method can fail, especially the email verification step. Sometimes temporary email services like Anonbox are blocked or delayed, and ProtonMail may reject them. You may need to repeat the process once or twice with a fresh temporary address before it works. But once you succeed, you’ll have access to a free, anonymous email address, one that’s end-to-end encrypted and protected by strong Swiss privacy laws. From there, you can safely use that address to set up other services while keeping your real identity hidden.
... anonymous money
If you use your bank account or PayPal to pay for your domain name or hosting service, your identity is directly tied to the transaction, you are not anonymous.
Even if you use popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) or Ethereum (ETH), you're still not anonymous in most cases. Why?
- Most people buy crypto through exchanges like Coinbase or Binance
- These platforms require identity verification (KYC – Know Your Customer)
- Once verified, every crypto purchase is linked to your real identity
And remember:
BTC and ETH are based on public ledgers. That means every wallet address and every transaction - past or present - is permanently stored on a transparent blockchain. Anyone can view it. Anyone can trace it.
What’s the alternative?
There are privacy coins, like Monero (XMR).
These are cryptocurrencies specifically designed for private and anonymous transactions. They obscure:
- The sender
- The recipient
- The amount
With Monero, every transaction is untraceable and unlinkable.
There are hosting providers that accept Monero—for example:
- Njalla – a privacy-focused domain and hosting provider
- 1984 Hosting – based in Iceland, supports privacy-respecting services
This is why we recommend using XMR as your payment method if you're serious about staying anonymous.
Njala and 1984 that accept XMR, which is why we use XMR as an example.
Step 1: Get a Monero Wallet
Before anything else, you need a Monero wallet.
Visit the official Monero website:
https://www.getmonero.org
Or access it via their official Tor v3 onion site for additional privacy.
Choose the wallet that best fits your setup—GUI, CLI, mobile, or hardware wallets are all supported.
First you need to get a Monero wallet. Please visit GetMonero, the official Monero website to find out what works best for you. The website is available as a hidden Tor v3 onion site too.
Step 2: Acquire Monero (XMR)
Option A: Use LocalMonero (Recommended)
LocalMonero is a peer-to-peer marketplace where you can buy and sell Monero directly, often with cash, gift cards, or other anonymous methods. LocalMonero operates a hidden Tor v3 onion site as well.
This is our preferred method—no central exchange, no forced identity verification, and highly flexible payment options depending on the vendor.
Option B: Convert Cash to XMR via a Big Exchange
If peer-to-peer doesn’t work for you, your next option is to buy crypto using traditional methods. But keep in mind: this is not anonymous.
You’ll need to:
- Register with a major exchange (e.g., Coinbase, Binance, or Bitpanda)
- Complete identity verification (passport, facial scan, etc.)
- Buy BTC or XMR (Note: you can buy XMR on Binance, but not on Coinbase or Bitpanda)
- Pay via bank transfer or credit card
Yes, this step reveals your identity—but it allows you to convert fiat to crypto.
Step 3: Obscure the Money Trail
To regain privacy after using a verified exchange, you’ll need to move your funds through a non-KYC (no identity verification) crypto exchange.
At the time of writing, we recommend:
- Kraken (register with an anonymous email and avoid fiat deposits)
- Or any trusted exchange that allows crypto-to-crypto trading without KYC
Important:
You’re not using this account to buy crypto, only to exchange it.
Create a new anonymous email address to sign up and avoid reusing identifiers from your real identity.
Step 4: Transfer and Convert
Here’s the basic flow:
- If you bought BTC, send it from your verified exchange account to your anonymous exchange account
- Trade it for XMR
- Withdraw the XMR to your personal Monero wallet
If you used LocalMonero, you can skip the anonymous exchange and simply send the XMR to your wallet after purchase.
Once your XMR is safely in your wallet, you’re ready to pay for services: anonymously.
... anonymous domain name
To our knowledge, there is only one company that truly enables anonymous domain name registrations: Njalla
This is only possible because when you register a domain with Njalla, you don’t legally own the domain name—Njalla does, on your behalf. But unlike typical proxy or WHOIS masking services, Njalla isn't just hiding your information—they are the actual registrant.
That might sound risky at first, but Njalla is structured specifically to protect your privacy while giving you full control over the domain. In their own words:
"We're not actually a domain name registration service, we're a customer to these. We sit in between the domain name registration service and you, acting as a privacy shield.
When you purchase a domain name through Njalla, we own it for you. However, the agreement between us grants you full usage rights to the domain. Whenever you want to, you can transfer the ownership to yourself or some other party.
For instance, when you register a domain name in our system, we can register with our own data. We will be the actual registrant of the domain – it's not an ownership by proxy as found with all other providers. However, you will still have the full control over the domain name. You can either use our information (and our nameservers) or you can go with your custom data. And you can move at any time. Simple, flexible."
This also means you have to place a certain level of trust in Njalla, that they will safeguard your domain and not disclose your information if, for example, law enforcement or a third party requests it.
So far, there is no evidence that Njalla has ever handed over customer data. We believe that’s because Njalla genuinely cares about privacy. Some of the people behind Njalla were also involved in founding The Pirate Bay, which says a lot about their stance on digital freedom and anonymity. Take a look at their blog: it gives a good sense of their principles and transparency.
More importantly, if Njalla ever gave away customer data and it became public, they would immediately lose all credibility. Their entire model is built on trust and privacy, so they have every reason to protect both.
To register a domain anonymously with Njalla:
Open your Tor Browser and visit Njalla’s Tor V3 onion site.
Use your anonymous ProtonMail account to register - Njalla supports encrypted email, so any messages you receive from them in ProtonMail will be end-to-end encrypted.
To pay, simply transfer Monero (XMR) from your wallet to Njalla.
A domain typically costs between €15 and €75 per year, depending on the TLD.
This is an anonymous and privacy-focused way to register a domain, without exposing your identity.
... anonymous web hosting
You can rent a Virtual Private Server (VPS) directly from Njalla, but keep in mind that you’ll need to administer the server yourself. Njalla does not manage it for you. Their servers are located somewhere in Sweden, and a VPS will cost you between €15 and €45 per month, payable in Monero (XMR).
Another great option is 1984, a hosting provider based in Iceland. Their infrastructure runs on 100% green energy, and they also accept XMR as payment. You can register using your anonymous ProtonMail address, keeping your identity private throughout the process.
At 1984, you have the option to install a WordPress site right away, which they will manage for you. At the time of writing, pricing starts at €27.42 for the first year, with a renewal price of €77 per year.
However, we recommend that you take full control and learn how to admin your own VPS. While this requires more effort and technical understanding, it offers the highest level of control, privacy, and long-term flexibility. At 1984, VPS pricing ranges from €4.50 to €72 per month (at the time of writing), depending on your needs.
Learning to run your own server isn't just about saving money, it's about owning your infrastructure and minimizing your reliance on third parties. If you're serious about anonymity and digital sovereignty, this is a valuable skill to have.
... congratulations (!), but ...
At this point, you should have access to your own anonymous VPS, or at least an anonymous WordPress site—for example, hosted through 1984.
Provided that you’ve successfully paid for both your domain name and hosting using anonymous methods, and you’ve kept your personal identity completely separate from your anonymous identity without any slip-ups, you're now in a strong position to set up and run your own anonymous website.
That said, it’s important to keep in mind:
This tutorial does not cover every aspect of online anonymity.
It simply outlines some of the key steps we took to start term7.
The subject of anonymity is massive—entire books could (and should) be written about it. If you're ready to dive deeper (just do it!) and really want to understand how to stay anonymous online (we think you should!), we highly recommend:
The Hitchhiker's Guide to Online Anonymity
A detailed, evolving guide that covers everything from Opsec to networks, cryptography, and data hygiene.
You can access it via Tor at this v3 Onion address:
http://thgtoallkcxrdv37u6knsc3pumk6cq6lqmcqlw3j5vkmyahkxive4jyd.onion/guide.html
Stay sharp. Stay curious. Stay private.
AnonymousPlanet
term7