Previous analysis showed that illicit crypto activity reached all time highs in 2022, despite the loss of these dark web shops. Part of this was due to some entities being put on lists of sanctioned entities. Still, there was close to $3.8 billion worth of crypto stolen through hacks in 2022, with huge spikes happening in March and October. Like last year, DeFi projects were the most-targeted crypto entities by hackers, accounting for over 82% of all hacks last year. Fraudsters and illicit digital dealers made much less money last year than they did in 2021, though 2022 was still a record year for total stolen in crypto hacks.
Top Darknet Markets 2025
With a keen eye on the latest developments in the digital asset space, I provides insightful and timely updates on the ever-evolving world of crypto. BriansClub remains a long-standing credit card data shop since at least 2014. Despite a 2019 breach that exposed over 26 million credit cards, it continues to operate, indicating sustained trust in its data pipelines. But the FBI, being rather clever, traced crypto transfers to an exchange account and nabbed the operator, Rui-Siang Lin, in New York.
Fraud And Hacking Services
Specifically, these manufacturers are becoming increasingly cautious about sharing cryptocurrency addresses in direct communications with buyers. This shift stems from the demonstrated efficacy of blockchain analysis in tracing illicit transactions and aiding investigations. Despite the many challenges faced by darknet marketplaces over the course of 2024, these platforms have nevertheless seen a slight increase of income compared to 2023, generating more than USD 1.7 billion. While China-based vendors are frequently referenced as the source of precursors for dangerous synthetic drugs, their involvement in machinery sales is also an important aspect of the drug supply chain. One China-based pill press manufacturer which advertises on clearnet business-to-business (B2B) websites has on-chain ties to drug vendors on Abacus Market.
DrugHub Marketplace
The platform’s activity has increased significantly over the past year, indicating its growing influence and market share in the underground economy. Established in 2019, Russian Market is a well-known and highly regarded data store on the dark web, specializing in the sale of PII and various forms of stolen data. Despite its name, the marketplace operates primarily in English and serves a global audience. It has gained a reputation for being a reliable source of high-quality data for cybercriminals. Its focus on financial fraud and high-value transactions has attracted a dedicated user base, contributing to its growing reputation and market value. Valued at approximately $15 million, Abacus Market is one of the most lucrative platforms in the dark web ecosystem.
On the dark web, you don’t need to be a technical expert to design ransomware, and that’s dangerous. Even people with little to no knowledge can buy ready-made ransomware and launch attacks on their victims. Later, in 2013, Silk Road caught the attention of law enforcement and policymakers like US Senator Charles Schumer, who publicly called for a federal crackdown. That push led to the arrest of Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road, after a long and intense investigation. Too-good-to-be-true investment offers are another classic scam on the dark web.
Other Government Sites
By preserving and cross-referencing seized data — such as user account details, blockchain forensics, and communications — law enforcement can map wider networks and plan future stings with precision. Darknet marketplaces, the concealed market squares of the internet, predominantly facilitate transactions using cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Monero. These digital currencies provide an additional layer of anonymity, making them the preferred choice within these markets.
Crypto Crime: How Nations & Scammers Use Cryptocurrency
It’s a continuous effort, a digital game of cat and mouse, and it requires everyone working together to keep the pressure on. The dark web, accessible only through special software like Tor, constitutes a small fraction of the deep web and hosts a substantial share of illegal activity. In 2023, it averaged 2.5 million daily visitors, rising to 2.7 million by April 2023. Germany led in Tor usage, followed by the U.S., Finland, India, and Russia. As of 2025, daily traffic surpassed 3 million, with approximately 60 percent of domains hosting illicit content.
Additionally, transactions are made with cryptocurrencies, mostly Bitcoin, which also provide anonymity to the transaction parties6,36. While the Bitcoin blockchain is publicly available on Bitcoin core37 or other third-party APIs such as Blockchain.com38, a market or a user can generate a new address for each transaction. To track the transactions of markets and users as entities, the data need to be pre-processed in order to map groups of addresses into entities. Drughub’s 600+ vendors specialize almost exclusively in pharmaceuticals, with 90% of its 15,000+ listings dedicated to prescription drugs, recreational substances, and rare compounds. Rated at 4.6/5 across 25,000+ reviews, these vendors maintain a 95% shipping reliability rate, though response times average 18 hours due to their niche focus.
Archetyp Market Security
This makes it one of the few darknet-style markets accessible without Tor, though buyers are still encouraged to use a VPN and anonymous browser for added privacy. WeTheNorth is a Canadian market established in 2021 that also serves international users. It offers counterfeit documents, financial fraud tools, hacking and malware services. It has an active forum and community along with an extensive user vetting process.
- Use trusted directories like dark.fail or The Hidden Wiki—30% of 2025 links are phishing scams costing $1M+ yearly.
- The UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) maintains that almost all firearms are originally manufactured through legal means.
- The first breakout use was for art, with projects like CryptoPunks and Bored Ape Yacht Club gaining large followings.
- The cartels then use those chemicals to manufacture fentanyl that is later sold in the U.S.
- Compared to its predecessors, Archetyp enforced enhanced security expectations from its users.
Background: From DutchAnonStore To Cipher Market
Vendors like “DoorMed” and “TechBit” maintain 96% ratings, supporting its speed-focused approach, though its vendor pool trails Torrez’s scale. Each of these top-tier markets brings a unique value proposition to the deep web markets ecosystem. Together, they process over $31 million in monthly trades—more than 60% of our top 10’s total—reflecting their outsized impact.
I’ve used it; shipping’s discreet—plain packages or DeadDrops—and uptime’s been flawless, rivaling Abacus. It’s not as community-driven as Bohemia, but the polish makes up for it—feels like a pro operation, not a fly-by-night deal. If you’re after a darknet market with variety and a forward-thinking edge, Tor2door Market’s a contender—watch it close in 2025 as that AI kicks in. We showed that a small fraction of traders is responsible for a large fraction of the trading volume, and by analysing the networks of buyers and sellers, we found different resilience regimes.
People visit this market to buy stolen credit cards, personal data, remote desktop account credentials, and logs gathered from information-stealing malware. Russian platforms have thrived in an environment of relative law enforcement tolerance, offering a safe haven for these illicit operations. While Western markets have faced significant setbacks in 2024—ranging from trust issues due to exit scams to major law enforcement crackdowns—Russian markets have remained resilient. Analysts note that, rather than exit scams, these platforms have voluntarily shut down, allowing users to withdraw their funds without much disruption.
