Verifying against the live site and live WHOIS/DNS…
Common questions
Is silk-road.com legit or a scam?
AboutUs doesn't label sites "legit" or "a scam": this page lists the dated registration, DNS, HTTPS, mail-authentication and safety checks we could verify, each with its source, so you can decide for yourself.
Who owns silk-road.com?
Nobody has completed AboutUs's owner verification for silk-road.com. That's true of most sites here — it isn't itself a warning sign.
Correct a description, link or other detail. Submissions are reviewed before publication.
3 of 4 safety checks passed (Oct 27, 2026).
Registered 1996 · site is live · HTTPS valid
Silk-Road.com works to preserve inner Asian culture and history.
Silk-Road.com is a resource dedicated to preserving and documenting the culture and history of inner Asia, including the Silk Road region and its peoples. The site serves researchers, educators, and history enthusiasts interested in Central Asian civilizations, cultures, and historical periods. Founded by Adela C.Y. Lee and based in Saratoga, California, it maintains related educational domains focused on Central Asian topics.
Checked in the last 30 daysOlder, dated recordFrom registration records
Registered 30 years ago · on AboutUs since 2006 · 2 registrar changes since Nov 13, 2013 · 1 ownership change since 2008 · last checked Sep 30, 2026.
Registration
RegisteredJul 25, 1996silk-road.com was registered on Jul 25, 1996.Source: RDAP, fetched Sep 6, 2026
AboutUs record
AboutUs wiki pageAboutUs wiki pageJun 21, 2006 – Nov 5, 2013An AboutUs wiki page described silk-road.com from Jun 21, 2006 to Nov 5, 2013 (3 edits).Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006–2023
Registrar
Network Solutions, LLCNetwork Solutions, LLCNov 13, 2013 – Jul 16, 2020Registrar Network Solutions, LLC (IANA 2) in the WHOIS and RDAP records held for silk-road.com, from Nov 13, 2013 to Jul 16, 2020.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is)TUCOWS, INC.
Ownership
Ownership recordsMar 10, 2008 – Feb 8, 2026Registration records for silk-road.com are held from Mar 10, 2008 to Feb 8, 2026 (99 records). 1 change of registrant name or organization is marked. Privacy-service and redaction changes are not counted.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Zone file
Nameservers: ecsecure.comNameservers: ecsecure.comMar 10, 2008 – Oct 17, 2013Registration records listed ecsecure.com nameservers (ns5.ecsecure.com, ns6.ecsecure.com) for silk-road.com from Mar 10, 2008 to Oct 17, 2013. Days a zone file covers are shown from the zone file instead.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Certificate
Let's EncryptApr 25, 2026 – Oct 27, 2026 (latest)Let's Encrypt issued 10 certificates for silk-road.com from Apr 25, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 10, 2027. Seen in use on Sep 28, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader); TLS check, Sep 28, 2026
200020102020Jan ’26Oct ’26← last 12 months, drawn wider
Every dated fact on this lifeline (18)
Jul 25, 1996Registration: silk-road.com was registered on Jul 25, 1996.Source: RDAP, fetched Sep 6, 2026
Jun 21, 2006 – Nov 5, 2013AboutUs record: An AboutUs wiki page described silk-road.com from Jun 21, 2006 to Nov 5, 2013 (3 edits).Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006–2023
Jul 1, 2006AboutUs record: “The Silkroad Foundation Homepage. Adela C.Y. Lee, Erik Sittmann, dunhuang, xinjiang, east turkestan, siberia, tarim basin, tocharian, silkroad, scythian, turk, uyghur, uigur, huns, anthropology, chaltschajan, china, fin…”Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006
Mar 10, 2008 – Feb 8, 2026Ownership: Registration records for silk-road.com are held from Mar 10, 2008 to Feb 8, 2026 (99 records). 1 change of registrant name or organization is marked. Privacy-service and redaction changes are not counted.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Mar 10, 2008 – Oct 17, 2013Zone file: Registration records listed ecsecure.com nameservers (ns5.ecsecure.com, ns6.ecsecure.com) for silk-road.com from Mar 10, 2008 to Oct 17, 2013. Days a zone file covers are shown from the zone file instead.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Automated safety checks
DNS (passed)
HTTPS (passed)
Page metadata (passed)
Security headers (failed)
Add the HSTS, Content-Security-Policy, and X-Frame-Options response headers.
AboutUs has not vetted this site. Everything below is what we could measure automatically. Anything you do on the site — paying, sharing personal details, downloading — is between you and the site, not AboutUs.
Current facts
Latest available measurements; dated entries retain their dates. These are measurements, not an endorsement of the site.
latest result
Said about itself in 2006
Jul 1, 2006
“The Silkroad Foundation Homepage. Adela C.Y. Lee, Erik Sittmann, dunhuang, xinjiang, east turkestan, siberia, tarim basin, tocharian, silkroad, scythian, turk, uyghur, uigur, huns, anthropology, chaltschajan, china, fin…”
Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006
Current AboutUs recordJul 5, 2026 – Sep 6, 2026 (latest)Authority and Safety last refreshed Sep 6, 2026.Source: AboutUs checks
TUCOWS, INC.
Dec 10, 2020 – Feb 8, 2026
Registrar TUCOWS, INC. (IANA 69) in the WHOIS and RDAP records held for silk-road.com, from Dec 10, 2020 to Feb 8, 2026.
Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is)
Tucows Domains Inc.Aug 21, 2026 – Oct 27, 2026 (latest)Registrar Tucows Domains Inc. in the registration data recorded, first on Aug 21, 2026 and most recently on Oct 27, 2026.Source: RDAP, fetched Sep 6, 2026
Ownership change
Sep 19, 2018
The registrant name or organization in the registration record changed; first recorded Sep 19, 2018. Who it changed to is in the full report.
Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
1 ownership change, 2008–2026
Nameservers: ecsecure.comOct 18, 2013 – Apr 3, 2018ecsecure.com (ns5.ecsecure.com, ns6.ecsecure.com) were the nameservers listed for silk-road.com at every ICANN zone-file snapshot AboutUs holds from Oct 18, 2013 to Apr 3, 2018 (snapshots exist for only part of 2013–2018).Source: ICANN zone-file snapshots, 2013–2018 (legacy archive)
Nameservers: ecsecure.comApr 4, 2018 – Jul 15, 2018Registration records listed ecsecure.com nameservers (ns5.ecsecure.com, ns6.ecsecure.com) for silk-road.com from Apr 4, 2018 to Jul 15, 2018. Days a zone file covers are shown from the zone file instead.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Nameservers: dreamhost.comNameservers: dreamhost.comSep 19, 2018 – Jan 24, 2025Registration records listed dreamhost.com nameservers (ns1.dreamhost.com, ns2.dreamhost.com) for silk-road.com from Sep 19, 2018 to Jan 24, 2025.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
DNS moved to dreamhost.comSep 19, 2018silk-road.com's nameservers moved from ecsecure.com to dreamhost.com at some point between Jul 15, 2018 and Sep 19, 2018. Last seen at ecsecure.com: Jul 15, 2018 (registration record). First seen at dreamhost.com: Sep 19, 2018 (registration record). AboutUs holds no nameserver records for the 2 months in between, so the date of the move is not known more closely.Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (registration record → registration record)
Nameservers: hover.comJul 17, 2025 – Feb 8, 2026Registration records listed hover.com nameservers (ns1.hover.com, ns2.hover.com) for silk-road.com from Jul 17, 2025 to Feb 8, 2026.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
DNS moved to hover.comJul 17, 2025silk-road.com's nameservers moved from dreamhost.com to hover.com at some point between Jan 24, 2025 and Jul 17, 2025. Last seen at dreamhost.com: Jan 24, 2025 (registration record). First seen at hover.com: Jul 17, 2025 (registration record). AboutUs holds no nameserver records for the 6 months in between, so the date of the move is not known more closely.Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (registration record → registration record)
Seen in the .com zone fileSep 8, 2026 – Sep 30, 2026 (latest)First seen in the .com zone file records AboutUs holds on Sep 8, 2026; latest sighting Sep 30, 2026. Nameservers on Sep 30, 2026: ns1.hover.com, ns2.hover.com.Source: ICANN CZDS zone file, snapshot Sep 30, 2026
Oct 18, 2013 – Apr 3, 2018
Zone file: ecsecure.com (ns5.ecsecure.com, ns6.ecsecure.com) were the nameservers listed for silk-road.com at every ICANN zone-file snapshot AboutUs holds from Oct 18, 2013 to Apr 3, 2018 (snapshots exist for only part of 2013–2018).Source: ICANN zone-file snapshots, 2013–2018 (legacy archive)
Nov 13, 2013 – Jul 16, 2020Registrar: Registrar Network Solutions, LLC (IANA 2) in the WHOIS and RDAP records held for silk-road.com, from Nov 13, 2013 to Jul 16, 2020.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is)
Apr 4, 2018 – Jul 15, 2018Zone file: Registration records listed ecsecure.com nameservers (ns5.ecsecure.com, ns6.ecsecure.com) for silk-road.com from Apr 4, 2018 to Jul 15, 2018. Days a zone file covers are shown from the zone file instead.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Sep 19, 2018Ownership: The registrant name or organization in the registration record changed; first recorded Sep 19, 2018. Who it changed to is in the full report.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Sep 19, 2018 – Jan 24, 2025Zone file: Registration records listed dreamhost.com nameservers (ns1.dreamhost.com, ns2.dreamhost.com) for silk-road.com from Sep 19, 2018 to Jan 24, 2025.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Sep 19, 2018Zone file: silk-road.com's nameservers moved from ecsecure.com to dreamhost.com at some point between Jul 15, 2018 and Sep 19, 2018. Last seen at ecsecure.com: Jul 15, 2018 (registration record). First seen at dreamhost.com: Sep 19, 2018 (registration record). AboutUs holds no nameserver records for the 2 months in between, so the date of the move is not known more closely.Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (registration record → registration record)
Dec 10, 2020 – Feb 8, 2026Registrar: Registrar TUCOWS, INC. (IANA 69) in the WHOIS and RDAP records held for silk-road.com, from Dec 10, 2020 to Feb 8, 2026.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is)
Jul 17, 2025 – Feb 8, 2026Zone file: Registration records listed hover.com nameservers (ns1.hover.com, ns2.hover.com) for silk-road.com from Jul 17, 2025 to Feb 8, 2026.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Jul 17, 2025Zone file: silk-road.com's nameservers moved from dreamhost.com to hover.com at some point between Jan 24, 2025 and Jul 17, 2025. Last seen at dreamhost.com: Jan 24, 2025 (registration record). First seen at hover.com: Jul 17, 2025 (registration record). AboutUs holds no nameserver records for the 6 months in between, so the date of the move is not known more closely.Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (registration record → registration record)
Apr 25, 2026 – Oct 27, 2026Certificate: Let's Encrypt issued 10 certificates for silk-road.com from Apr 25, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 10, 2027. Seen in use on Sep 28, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader); TLS check, Sep 28, 2026
Jul 5, 2026 – Sep 6, 2026AboutUs record: Authority and Safety last refreshed Sep 6, 2026.Source: AboutUs checks
Aug 21, 2026 – Oct 27, 2026Registrar: Registrar Tucows Domains Inc. in the registration data recorded, first on Aug 21, 2026 and most recently on Oct 27, 2026.Source: RDAP, fetched Sep 6, 2026
Sep 8, 2026 – Sep 30, 2026Zone file: First seen in the .com zone file records AboutUs holds on Sep 8, 2026; latest sighting Sep 30, 2026. Nameservers on Sep 30, 2026: ns1.hover.com, ns2.hover.com.Source: ICANN CZDS zone file, snapshot Sep 30, 2026
Domain registered Jul 25, 1996 — 30 years old.
latest result
Registrar on record: Tucows Domains Inc. — unchanged since AboutUs began tracking (Aug 21, 2026).
latest result
HTTPS request succeeded for silk-road.com.
checked Sep 30, 2026
The live front page reads as an education or reference site that publishes free content supported by ads, mainly for a general audience.
Authority 46/100— ahead of 46% of the August 2026 scored sampleClear
Why this authority score
46 is a percentile: higher than 46% of sites we score.
How it's calculated
Prominence (Tranco rank #940,112)+4
Verified continuity: 30.3 years (RDAP registration)+11
Security & email hygiene+3
Calibration adjustment (published map)+7
Model score: 25/99 — what these reason lines add up to.
Published Authority (percentile): 46/100 — this site's rank against the August 2026 scored sample. Public Authority is capped at 99.
Safety evidence
No unexpired threat-feed result; name-similarity check available (recorded about 50 days ago); 3/3 transport and email checks available (oldest recorded about 50 days ago). This is evidence coverage, not a probability that a website is safe.
Missing DMARC (mild)
What silk-road.com said about itself, 2006
Quoted from the site's AboutUs wiki page in each year it changed (1 version). These are the page's own words at the time, not AboutUs's assessment. New words · dropped words
2006
The Silkroad Foundation Homepage. Adela C.Y. Lee, Erik Sittmann, dunhuang, xinjiang, east turkestan, siberia, tarim basin, tocharian, silkroad, scythian, turk, uyghur, uigur, huns, anthropology, chaltschajan, china, finnugri, otuken, qyrqyz, toghuzoghuz
Site history
Dated record — historical facts always carry their date.