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.
Did The Silk Road Marketplace Go Under?
- The forum strongly resembled the interface of RAMP and had several sections dedicated to sale of access, malware, ransomware, and databases.
- Monopoly Market also has a strict policy against listing certain types of goods and services, such as weapons and child pornography.
- High-volume vendors launch standalone shops using Tor and Monero, reducing dependency on marketplaces.
- Written by Flashpoint’s Intelligence Team, this report is also supported by research from blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs.
In the chart below, we see that the DNM Aggregator emerged as the clear leader among fraud shops enabling cybercrime, and Exploit.in and Kraken Market almost equally sold tools used to facilitate ransomware attacks. As for cybercriminal administration, the category includes inflows from ransomware affiliate wallets. This includes purchases such as malicious software and supporting services which cybercriminals sometimes make using escrow services on crime forums. As darknet marketplaces continue to disappear without warning, whether through exit scams or unannounced law enforcement operations, blockchain intelligence firms, such as TRM, remain a key component to help investigators. Such companies’ tools enable investigators to trace administrator wallets and follow illicit flows even after a marketplace goes offline.
Kingdom Market was a darknet marketplace where 42,000 offerings from drugs, criminal services, scams and malware were up for grabs. The announcement was made by German law enforcement that Kingdom Market had “fallen” in late last year after a global takedown operation. ASAP is a tech nerd’s playground—accepting BTC, LTC, ZCash, and Monero, it’s got options for days. Their DeadDrop system’s a standout—vendors stash your goods IRL, no mailing hassles—and wallet-less payments mean no one’s bolting with your cash, a relief after I got burned once by a shady escrow dodge. Listings aren’t public, but it’s steady—think drugs (weed, pills, some synthetics), a few digital extras like cracked accounts.
Dutch National Police Share Depth And Sophistication Of Genesis Market Identity Theft Operation
JCODE and Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) continue to compile intelligence packages to identify entities of interest. Parsarad was also indicted by a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Ohio on drug trafficking charges related to the illegal business he ran on the dark web. Likely a response to increase law enforcement activities, it is even harder to get access to dark web hacker forums. Dark web forum admins have always been wary of newcomers and visitors, routinely screening for law enforcement (often ineffectively). In light of recent busts, however, dark web operators have increased their vigilance and are scrutinizing applicants more thoroughly.
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The cartels then use those chemicals to manufacture fentanyl that is later sold in the U.S. Russian Market has operated since 2019, specialising in stolen credentials, stealer logs, and remote desktop access. Threat reports consistently rank it among the top ten darknet sites Top 10 Dark Web Markets.
How Much Is Stolen Data Worth?
Rating services are increasingly popular since dark web marketplace “exit scams” remain high. “Exit scams” occur when marketplace operators suddenly shut down, stealing funds from escrow wallets and disappearing. Dark web visitors have turned to sites like Dread, which is similar to a dark web version of Reddit, for information. You can use Dread to learn which dark net markets are reputable and their locations. On a recent visit to Dread, we discovered that the ViceCity dark web market was in the middle of an exit scam.
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Legally, they are limited to observing publicly accessible areas using tools like the Tor browser, without engaging in unauthorized access or illegal transactions. The darknet is a mysterious and often misunderstood part of the internet, attracting both intrigue and concern. Darknet markets, in particular, have gained attention for their role in facilitating the exchange of illicit goods and services. Despite their controversial nature, these marketplaces continue to evolve, offering a glimpse into the darker side of online commerce.
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. Despite Hydra’s absence, no single platform has risen to its former dominance.
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. This allows them to compile intelligence and make arrests at optimal moments. In the interim, many in the DNM community will assume the marketplace performed an exit scam and continue their activity on other platforms. Bayonet/GraveSac, and has become the preferred method for disrupting the ecosystem. With this info, we suggest steps cryptocurrency businesses can take to avoid problems related to darknet market activity, like learning how to access darknet safely.
Darknet Market Revenues Rose Slightly, But Have Yet To Regain Hydra Marketplace Highs
Originally created by the US Government, TOR is an anonymising browser that allows users to enter the darknet and blocks their identity. Adding to this layer of security and anonymity is the use of cryptocurrency to make transactions on the darknet. The darknet does have some legitimate uses including private communication and the protecting of confidential resources. Despite this, the darknet is probably better known for its hosting of drug marketplaces, such as the Silk Road, black markets and cyber attack services to name a few. Its very design makes the darknet a hotspot for criminal activity, and so this has become synonymous with this section of the web. Hydra, which had a long-standing review system and significant entry barriers for potential sellers, provided a useful platform for vendors, including crypto launderers, to prove that they were trustworthy.
While no single market has matched Hydra’s success, total darknet market revenue rose to $1.7 billion in 2023. Miklos has long-time experience in cybersecurity and data privacy having worked with international teams for more than 10 years in projects involving penetration testing, network security and cryptography. Every location where personal data is stored is a potential target for cybercriminals.
The hacked accounts may belong to a country that has a larger selection of streaming sites than their own. They also offer access to online subscription services for cheaper prices—but customers have to gamble with the chance of being caught. Since the summer of 2022, the aforementioned markets have waged war against each other, involving the spreading of rumors, the doxing of administrators and staff members, distributed denial of service attacks and breaches. The dark Web is the World Wide Web, which requires authorization and configurations of specific software to access. Cybersecurity experts should pay close attention to these trends, as they often indicate emerging threats and profit-generating tactics among the cybercriminal forums.
One of the central76 discussion forums was Reddit’s /r/DarkNetMarkets/,777879 which has been the subject of legal investigation, as well as the Tor-based discussion forum, The Hub. The months and years after Silk Road’s closure were marked by a greatly increased number of shorter-lived markets as well as semi-regular law enforcement takedowns, hacks, scams and voluntary closures. Threat actors can use encrypted apps like Telegram, to communicate en masse and share with their hacker network the location of new forums and marketplaces. The site’s operators charged fees on every transaction and even offered 3.3 million cards for free to lure in new users.
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Still, darknet community members and users close to the Abacus team largely believe the collapse points to an exit scam, not a police seizure. Some are looking for illegal stuff they can’t buy elsewhere, like drugs or counterfeit documents. Despite growing crackdowns from law enforcement agencies, the dark web remains a hotbed of criminal activity, offering everything from drugs to stolen data. 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. Due to its extensive inventory and reputation for reliability, Brian’s Club has maintained a significant presence on the dark web.
