French, Dutch, and select EU passports all cost $3,000 apiece, Polish passports went for $2,500 each, US passports sold for $2,000, while Lithuanian passports cost $1,800 each. Other popular physical documents included EU driver’s licenses ($2,000 apiece), EU national IDs ($1,700 on average), forged US green cards ($450), and IDs of several US states ($200). Abacus becoming the largest Bitcoin-enabled Western DNM may have inadvertently led to its closure. Marketplaces that reach the top of the ecosystem, in terms of volume, user base, listings, and reputation, often become priority targets for law enforcement. Archetyp’s recent takedown followed this pattern and likely influenced Abacus’s trajectory.
Which Wallet Best For Darknet Market
In total, darknet markets and fraud shops received $1.7 billion last year, a rebound from 2022 — the year that saw the sizable Hydra Marketplace close. The ensuing war for darknet market dominance that began in 2022 continued into 2023, but no other market has since matched Hydra’s financial success. We’ll discuss theories as to why, and other darknet market trends here. Since these markets operate in hidden networks, scams and security risks are common.
At Least 500,000 Users Regularly Visit Dark Web Marketplaces
There was much information to disseminate; in almost three years of operation, more than 1.5 million transactions took place. This datastore is considered reliable and very active, and its offerings are known to be a bit more expensive in comparison to the Russian Market (see marketplace #4). A unique feature of Brian’s Club is the auctions they run, in which users can reserve, bid, and outbid other users who want to purchase unique BINs. In recent years, some marketplaces have expanded onto platforms like Telegram to broaden their reach and cater to cybercriminals seeking to expand or develop their dark web activities. As part of Operation Bayonet, authorities allowed thousands of illegal transactions and made a number of changes to the site to catch careless users.
Characteristics Of Active Darknet Markets
Named after the ancient guardian of the underworld, Anubis offers a protected environment where anonymity reigns supreme. With encrypted messaging, trusted vendor ranks, and a minimalist, no-nonsense interface, Anubis stands as a quiet but powerful force in the darknet world. Using trusted directories, PGP encryption, and secure wallets helps protect against fraud. This marketplace specializes in a variety of illegal products, including drugs, counterfeit documents, and hacking tools. DrugHub popped up in 2023 and quickly hit 15,000 listings—all drug-related.
You can see all the product categories the marketplace deals with on the homepage. Like other marketplaces, it also requires registration for new users and accepts payments in Monero. Empire Market is a dark web shop that resembles the AlphaBay marketplace. Its look, design, options, and interface are exactly the exact copy of its competitor, but everything else, including buyers, vendors, and servers, is different.
Abacus Market Conducts Likely Exit Scam Amid Increasingly Unstable Western Darknet Marketplace Landscape
Pakistan topped the list with 100 index points (maximum), followed by Kenya (89 points) and Myanmar (87 points). The top 10 also included Bangladesh (78), Ethiopia (75), Nepal (75), Cameroon (67), Tanzania (66), Nigeria (65), and Sri Lanka (63 index points). We offer a seamless, secure, and trusted experience tailored for the Canadian community. Chainalysis also noted that some markets are openly advertising their wares in Russia, with giant 3D billboards (Kraken Market) and QR codes on subway trains (Mega Darknet Market). In 2022, for example, BidenCash was linked to the breach of over 1.2 million credit card records. Launched in 2021, Abacus Market caters primarily to English-speaking users.
#BHUSA: 1000 DoD Contractors Now Covered By NSA’s Free Cyber Services Program
In late June 2025, users began reporting withdrawal issues with Abacus Market, which typically indicates an impending exit scam. This article dives deep into 2025 dark web statistics, offering a clear, data-driven view of what’s happening below the surface. From the rise of crypto-fueled markets to AI-augmented cybercrime, the numbers paint a vivid picture of a space that’s expanding faster than most can monitor. Genesis Market extensively used a payment processor called UAPS, so much that the processor’s average inflows fell by 25.7% after Genesis closed last April. Regardless, UAPS remains a key provider of payment infrastructure to top fraud shops. Knowing which markets are currently operational and accessible is crucial.
Finding A Silk Road Alternative: What Are The Best Options Today?
Russian Market has consistently remained one of the most popular and valuable data stores on the dark web. Its affordability and reliability have earned it a loyal customer base. The platform’s activity has increased significantly over the past year, indicating its growing influence and market share in the underground economy.
Darknet markets are an important part of the underground criminal economy and facilitate the trade of illicit goods and services ranging from narcotics to hacking tools. Beginning with the Silk Road in 2011, over a hundred markets have been established – making billions of dollars in sales. It is a dynamic and complex ecosystem, with numerous markets opening and closing each year. Market closures have most commonly taken the form of “exit scams” or law enforcement takedowns.
In addition to its emphasis on stolen credentials, 2easy Market offers a variety of cybercrime tools, such as hacking services, exploit kits, and other resources for conducting cyberattacks. The market emphasizes anonymity and security, conducting transactions exclusively through cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Monero. It allows vendors to sell without registration, which provides an added layer of anonymity, making it one of the more flexible and user-friendly markets on the dark web. Their DeadDrop system and wallet-less payments mean no one’s running off with your cash—perfect if you’re paranoid like me after a bad deal once.
The UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) maintains that almost all firearms are originally manufactured through legal means. The dark web is designed in such a manner that it hides the identities and locations of its visitors. This extra privacy makes it much harder for authorities to track down who runs these markets and where they are located. For these reasons, most of these stores naturally like the dark web due to its protection.
The last several years’ examples include Silk Road, AlphaBay, Wall Street Market, and Hydra, most recently. Historically, as law enforcement closed each dominant marketplace, a new leader emerged. We can see this pattern on the chart below, which shows the level of market share controlled by the dominant market of each epoch. The recovery pattern is fairly consistent until the Hydra Marketplace closure, after which no dominant darknet market emerged. Vortex is a next-generation darknet market focused on speed, simplicity, and user control.
- To help Genesis Market victims and prevent future crimes, the Dutch Police created a Check your hack tool that lets victims see if their credentials were sold or for sale on Genesis Market.
- Named after the ancient guardian of the underworld, Anubis offers a protected environment where anonymity reigns supreme.
- When RAMP disappeared, legendary Russian marketplace, Hydra witnessed an increase in user registrations and vendor activity while and near clone of RAMP, called MEGA surfaced only earlier this year.
- Regular stores are public, with visible ads and a standard payment process.
- By leveraging automated dark web monitoring, organizations can mitigate risks, and take preventive measures before the leaked data is exploited.
- The tool is still available today, and interested parties simply need to enter their email address to place an inquiry.
On these marketplaces, they’re listed, sold, and promoted just like items on any e-commerce site. Ulbricht faced several serious charges, including distributing illegal drugs, running a criminal enterprise, hacking, trafficking fake IDs, and money laundering. In the end, he was sentenced to life in prison for running one of the largest and most scandalous dark web cases in history. BidenCash was launched in 2022, and since it became a hot spot for cybercriminals to sell and buy illegal things, including stolen card information and personal data. However, in June 2025, BidenCash’s relevant domains (around 145) were seized by the US Department of Justice. Exodus Marketplace started to become popular after the shutdown of Genesis Market, and it replaced it successfully.
