The global crypto market cap is $3.76T, a 3.66% decrease over the last day. Established in 2022, Torzon market is one of the biggest and most diverse marketplaces on the dark web. It is considered very secure thanks to strict user validations and transparent payment and vendor review procedures. STYX Market focuses specifically on financial fraud, making it a go-to destination for cybercriminals engaged in this activity. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. According to the OSC’s website, each of those companies is subject to terms and conditions outlined by regulatory bodies, including at the national level.
If You Are Investing In Cryptocurrency — CoinMarketCapcom Is For You
In the global fight against narcotics, the ability to analyze manufacturer wallets and flow of funds is key to ultimately dismantling the financial networks underpinning the global supply chain for synthetic drugs. A smart contract enables multiple scripts to engage with each other using clearly defined rules, to execute on tasks which can become a coded form of a contract. They have revolutionized the digital asset space because they have enabled decentralized exchanges, decentralized finance, ICOs, IDOs and much more. A huge proportion of the value created and stored in cryptocurrency is enabled by smart contracts. A Canadian market established in 2021, WTN offers over 9,000 products, including narcotics, fake goods, and digital services. It operates in both French and English and has built a reputation for ease-of-use.
Blockchain Intelligence Is Key In The Global Fight Against Illicit Drugs
The Abacus Market links to the new dark web marketplace sections and took over much of the vacuum left by the AlphaBay takedown. One of the most common is the exit scam, where a marketplace suddenly disappears and takes everyone’s money with it. There’s also a privacy angle—some users live in countries with censorship or surveillance, and the dark web gives them a space to communicate or access information more freely. It’s been a constant back-and-forth between cybercriminals and law enforcement, with each new site trying to be smarter and more secure than the last. For instance, cybercriminals can buy credit card details with a $5,000 balance for just $110.
Classic darknet markets sell diverse illegal goods; data stores focus on leaked or stolen data like credentials, databases, and ID records. Launched in 2023, STYX focuses on financial crime, providing stolen credit card data, hacked bank accounts and access to various cryptocurrency laundering tools. It has built a reputation for being a reliable source of stolen credit card data and PII. Renowned for its extensive inventory of financial data and sophisticated operating methods, Brian’s Club is a key player in the underground economy of financial cybercrime.
Beyond Fentanyl: TRM Report Reveals Cryptocurrency’s Role In The International Drug Precursor Market
These anonymous marketplaces—operating mainly on the Tor network—are now a primary threat vector for businesses and cybersecurity professionals. Of the 120 Chinese precursor manufacturers we examined—spanning 26 cities and 16 provinces—97% offered payment in cryptocurrencies. On-chain insights and exposure to cryptocurrency exchanges and ATMs can offer law enforcement with valuable leads. Manufacturer wallets are most commonly hosted at exchanges, with funds sent from unhosted wallets, cryptocurrency exchanges, and payment services. In the US, for example, cryptocurrency ATMs were found to have sent more than USD 170,000 directly to Chinese precursor vendors in 2023. While this identified volume is relatively small, these transactions provide law enforcement with valuable leads for identifying fentanyl manufacturers or precursor resellers.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Dark Web Marketplaces
Abacus Market quickly rose to prominence by attracting former AlphaBay users and providing a comprehensive platform for a wide range of illicit activities. Though drug precursor sales are still predominantly transacted through traditional, fiat payment methods, cryptocurrency’s share has continued to grow over the years. CoinMarketCap does not offer financial or investment advice about which cryptocurrency, token or asset does or does not make a good investment, nor do we offer advice about the timing of purchases or sales. Please remember that the prices, yields and values of financial assets change.
How Do We Calculate Our Cryptocurrency Prices?
Valued at approximately $15 million, Abacus Market is one of the most lucrative platforms in the dark web ecosystem. 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.
- Please remember that the prices, yields and values of financial assets change.
- Canadians are losing millions of dollars in cryptocurrency fraud schemes and at least one Ontario detective specializing in the area predicts such scams will soon outpace wire transfers as the largest payment method used by fraudsters.
- The global crypto market cap is $3.76T, a 3.66% decrease over the last day.
- It features over 40,000 listings including narcotics, counterfeit items, hacking tools, and stolen data.
- Abacus Market quickly rose to prominence by attracting former AlphaBay users and providing a comprehensive platform for a wide range of illicit activities.
Cypher Marketplace
Our team searched the dark web and put together a list of the most active dark web marketplaces in order to assist you in monitoring illegal trade of products, cybercrime activity, and dark web trends in the dark web space. Launched in September 2022, Torzon Market operates on the Tor network and features over 11,600 illegal products, including drugs and hacking tools. It enhances buyer transparency by importing vendor feedback with PGP proof.
Russian Market has consistently remained one of the most popular and valuable data stores on the dark web. The platform’s activity has increased significantly over the past year, indicating its growing influence and market share in the underground economy. It is a hub for financial cybercrime and offers a wide range of illicit services and stolen data that cater to sophisticated cybercriminals.
It is considered a go-to site for malware purchasing, providing keyloggers, trojans, and other Malware as a Service products. Due to its extensive inventory and reputation for reliability, Brian’s Club has maintained a significant presence on the dark web. Quality and validity of the data it provides justify its higher cost over other marketplaces. The platform’s popularity continues to grow, attracting both new and returning customers. Based on our observations from analysis on dark web data using Lunar, we’ve identified the top 7 marketplaces on the dark web in 2025.
We collect latest sale and transaction data, plus upcoming NFT collection launches onchain. NFTs are a new and innovative part of the crypto ecosystem that have the potential to change and update many business models for the Web 3 world. The world of crypto now contains many coins and tokens that we feel unable to verify. In those situations, our Dexscan product lists them automatically by taking on-chain data for newly created smart contracts.
These sites cater to cybercriminals seeking valuable data, such as credit card numbers, login credentials, and personal information. The second category consists of data stores, which specialize in stolen information. We calculate the total cryptocurrency market capitalization as the sum of all cryptocurrencies listed on the site.
Freshtools is a unique marketplace in that it does not only provide the stolen data, but it allows criminals to purchase MaaS which can cause further damage to the victims. It is one of the most active and up to date markets and always provides new and updated malware and data. The story of dark web marketplaces kicks off with Silk Road, launched in 2011. It was the first big site where people could anonymously buy drugs using Bitcoin, and it gained a lot of attention, until it was shut down by the FBI in 2013. The first category includes classic marketplaces, which serve as one-stop shops for a wide range of illegal goods. These platforms sell everything from drugs and fake IDs to weapons and hacking tools, resembling a digital black-market bazaar.
Common Scams On Dark Web Marketplaces
Torzon offers a premium account option for additional benefits and is valued at approximately $15 million, accepting payments in Bitcoin (BTC) and Monero (XMR). 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.
She previously worked as a producer with the CBC News social media team and reported for CBC Nova Scotia. “Crypto assets are high risk … Don’t use money that you can’t afford to lose because this is a highly speculative activity,” Quinton said. Security researchers have been monitoring forums within the cybercriminal underworld to investigate the leading markets operating in 2024. Never log in with your real name or reuse passwords from other accounts. Stick to cryptocurrency, avoid downloading anything, and don’t share any personal info.
