On these marketplaces, they’re listed, sold, and promoted just like items on any e-commerce site. BidenCash is another latest marketplace that started in 2022, and is now home to sensitive financial data transactions. This is where cybercriminals go to buy and sell things like stolen credit card numbers, personally identifiable information (PII), and even SSH login details. One thing that distinguishes BidenCash on the dark web, however, is how it markets itself. Next up is Abacus, another newer market that has already made a massive name for itself, especially following AlphaBay’s closure.
CISOs Brace For Supply Chain Attacks With Proactive Attack Surface Monitoring
Significant differences among European countries were also apparent in the use of different delivery methods (see Table Delivery methods for herbal cannabis and cannabis resin). Evidence indicates that cannabis is relatively frequently shared within peer groups, sometimes without any monetary exchange or in a non-commercial or non-profit manner. The THC-COOH loads observed in wastewater in 2022 indicate that cannabis use was highest in western and southern European cities, in particular the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain, but also in Czechia. In countries with multiple study locations, no marked differences were found in the THC-COOH loads when comparing large and small cities. Wastewater analysis can also detect fluctuations in patterns of illicit drug use across the week. Overall, cannabis (THC-COOH) was found to be distributed evenly over the whole week.
Our Analysis
Patterns recommended to avoid include hiring hitmen like Dread Pirate Roberts, and sharing handles for software questions on sites like Stack Exchange. As a criminal market, it is deeply intertwined with a wide range of criminal activities, including cyber-dependent and financial crimes. As these illicit economies continue to flourish, tackling and dismantling the criminal networks involved will require more than technological advancements. The issue calls for international cooperation, policy adjustments and a deeper understanding of the constantly evolving cyber landscape.
Dark Matter Market – Monero Only
You remain anonymous throughout the transaction and avoid unnecessary meetings, as well as the responsibility of buying drugs on the darknet markets. In exploring the top 10 dark-web marketplaces in 2025, we’ve examined their core operations, diverse use-cases, inherent risks, and evolving trends. While these marketplaces continue to serve legitimate purposes, such as enabling secure communication and privacy protection, they also remain hotspots for illicit activities and cybercrime. Technological advancements like AI-driven security, quantum-resistant encryption, and blockchain integration are reshaping the landscape, but simultaneously, global enforcement efforts grow more sophisticated and collaborative.
More Vendor Stores
This may be of relevance as high-frequency users generally account for the bulk of drug consumption, which in turn may have implications for estimating the size of drug retail markets (Caulkins et al., 2022). While the social supply of cannabis seems to be relatively prevalent in the EU, research indicates that the sources from which users acquire their cannabis vary between countries. For example, the study found that out of the 929 visitors to coffeeshops in Amsterdam who reported buying their cannabis 46 % obtained it from friends, 32 % from street dealers and 30 % from home dealers (Skliamis and Korf, 2022). However, the proportion of participants who reported buying from friends and street dealers differed greatly between the seven countries included in the study. Notably, 90 % of respondents from the Netherlands reported coffeeshops as their supply source.
We have information about 500 cannabis prices from around 140 sellers in 18 countries. The nature of the data allows us to exploit the detailed information about the quality of a particular cannabis strain, measured both by its potency (active ingredient content) and its popularity among users. Previous studies on the determinants of drug prices are based on undercover operations or surveys among drug users. An early study by Brown and Siverman (1974) analyses heroin-price data based on purchases by US undercover narcotics agents and finds a quantity discount a positive price-effect of the purity of the heroin. Caulkins and Padman (1993)—analysing price data collected by US undercover narcotics agents for various illicit drugs including cannabis–find for most drugs quantity discounts and quality premiums. Crown is a premium darknet marketplace built to deliver a high-end experience for both buyers and vendors.
Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime
While this may all sound sophisticated, it is a financial crime and very risky. Those who use these services can still be traced and prosecuted if caught, especially as law enforcement continues to sharpen its tracking tools. Imagine trusting a site where you’ve been buying or selling for months, and everything seems legit. Anything from planting malware and stealing sensitive files to hijacking email accounts or breaking into social media profiles. Want to get illegal drugs, fake passports, Trojan, or other cyber attack software? It brings in vendor reviews from other places and verifies them using PGP signatures, so buyers can feel a bit more confident about who they’re dealing with.
Common Scams On Dark Web Marketplaces
Dark-web marketplaces often attract attention due to their association with illicit activities; however, these platforms also serve legitimate purposes that align closely with principles of online privacy and freedom of information. Understanding both the lawful and unlawful scenarios helps provide a balanced view of their practical applications in 2025. The best marketplaces in 2025 cater to diverse needs, offering a broad spectrum of products ranging from privacy-enhancing software, digital documents, and cryptocurrency exchanges to more sensitive or controversial goods. Marketplaces that maintain strict moderation policies—banning excessively harmful or exploitative products—also gain popularity among more ethically minded users. Experienced users typically prefer marketplaces with robust vendor rating systems, detailed feedback options, and transparent dispute resolution processes.
- Aldridge et al. (2018) argue that online illegal markets may reduce the harm of drug use because they raise the quality and safety of the drugs sold and because, in the course of the transaction, there is less conflict and violence.
- In the second stage, we collected 31 variables from official sources to compare officially collected data with darknet data about amounts and types of selling drugs in every 85 regions of Russia.
- It is used by many for buying or selling items that are prohibited on the regular internet, like fake IDs, illegal drugs, and stolen data.
- Opiates, while representing a smaller portion of overall drug use, have a significant presence, particularly in the Krasnodar region, which warrants further investigation.
Yes, the majority of activities on darknet markets are illegal and can result in severe penalties, including fines and imprisonment. It is important to remember that using darknet markets carries significant risks and should only be done with a clear understanding of the legal and ethical implications. Abacus Market — once the largest Bitcoin-enabled Western darknet marketplace — went offline in early July 2025. TRM Labs assesses the event was likely an exit scam, though a covert law enforcement seizure cannot be ruled out. Cases like Nemesis Market and Monopoly Market indicate that law enforcement agencies now prefer to take down DNMs without announcing it publicly — and potentially alerting vendors under investigation. In the interim, many in the DNM community will assume the marketplace performed an exit scam and continue their activity on other platforms.
Another reason the Russian Market is so popular is that it’s pretty inexpensive compared to other dark web marketplaces. Of course, not all the popular and widely-used dark web sites and things like marketplaces on the dark net are illegal. Some use them due to privacy concerns, such as journalists talking to informants or whistleblowers, while others may simply want to protect their confidential information from observation or tracking. Nevertheless, most people on the internet do not need to communicate or venture into the dark web. Imagine an underground version of your favorite online marketplace, somewhere hidden, exclusive, and often operating outside legal boundaries.
The main drug sold online is cannabis, followed by synthetic drugs, cocaine and, to a lesser extent, opioids. Heroin and other opioids do not have a significant presence online, as their sale is highly regulated and controlled. This report examines the prices of cannabis sold on the anonymous internet marketplace Abacus Market. The analysis is based on data collected from 500 listings by approximately 140 sellers, originating from 18 countries. The study investigates the determinants of cannabis prices, including listing characteristics and country-specific factors. Despite Telegram’s anonymity, the dark web is still a hot spot for illegal trading of malware, illicit goods, and stolen data (such as stolen credit card information).
Freshtools was established in 2019 and offers various stolen credentials, accounts, and host protocols like RDP. It is considered a go-to site for malware purchasing, providing keyloggers, trojans, and other Malware as a Service products. WizardShop has solidified its status as one of the best data stores in the dark web by providing an impressive quantity of quality data as well as providing a trustworthy, easy to use interface allowing criminals easy and secure buying and selling. Its focus on financial fraud and high-value transactions has attracted a dedicated user base, contributing to its growing reputation and market value. To expand their reach, some marketplaces established parallel channels on Telegram. This further complicates monitoring efforts because now you need to search for the related Telegram channels and track activity there and on the marketplace itself.
While most cannabis influencers appear to be male, there are indications that female influencers are becoming more active on social media (Bakken and Harder, 2022). This may be part of a broader push towards commercialising cannabis and attempting to sell licensed and unlicensed products to a mainstream audience, in addition to influencing ongoing policy debates. The Netherlands (32 %), Germany (20 %) and Spain (20 %) together accounted for the majority of such listings. Quantities between 1 and 3 kilograms were typically offered for between EUR 1 000/kilogram and EUR 4 950/kilogram.
Herbal cannabis, the most prevalent product, was reported as shipping primarily from Germany (44 %), Spain (14 %), the Netherlands (11 %) and France (8 %). Recently published analysis based on data from the EWSD has found that the likelihood of using dealers or growing one’s own supply (and, to a lesser extent, purchasing online) increases with frequency of use (Vuolo and Matias, 2022). This pattern was highly consistent for herbal cannabis, while there was some variation for cannabis resin. Similarly, the probability of acquiring herbal cannabis and resin through sharing or for free decreased with frequency of use. Trends in the number of seizures may be viewed as an indirect indicator of changes in a drug’s availability, although they primarily reflect law enforcement activity (including resource availability, allocation and priorities). Since 2012 the total number of herbal cannabis seizures in Europe has exceeded those involving resin, and this continued to be the case in 2021.
