Axis Intelligence provides dark web surveillance solutions that help businesses identify leaked credentials, fraud attempts, and malware risks before they escalate. Unlike regular online stores, these markets can shut down, change their URLs, or face law enforcement shutdowns frequently. Because of this it’s important to stay updated on which markets are active and which ones are no longer working. The most recent example is the shutdown of the oldest marketplace Hydra Market in 2022 which took a combined effort of the FBI and the German authorities. Unfortunately, that as well didn’t stop other darknet markets from rising.
The fact that there are no real regulations as well as authorities to monitor transactions, you’re always on your own, and you’re a potential target and victim of a scam or fraud. Perhaps, hiring a hacker can feel impossible, but it’s a genuine threat that you need to be aware of. In fact, several businesses can use that service to get rid of competitors, or individuals can use it to gain access to personal information about someone. The darknet is basically an overlay network that exists within the internet and can only be accessed with specific configurations, software, and usually uses certain customized communication protocols.
Characteristics Of Suppliers
Major drug markets in the Dark Web are now worth around $315 million annually according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The researchers focused on the five most common drugs sent in for testing—MDMA, cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine and LSD—to ensure that there would be enough data points to produce reliable results in each case. They only included samples that were purchased in-person or on dark-web cryptomarkets, excluding samples that participants simply stated were from “the internet.” In total, 62,596 drug samples met these criteria. If you are caught buying drugs on the darknet, you could face serious legal consequences. It is important to seek legal advice if you find yourself in this situation. Drugs are illegal in most countries, and buying them online is a criminal offense.
Safely Browse And Verify Onion Sites
The data above also confirms that the increase in revenue is driven by more purchases rather than larger ones. The median purchase size has remained relatively constant in USD value, but we see that the number of transfers once again jumped significantly, from 9 million to 12 million. This suggests that either more customers bought from darknet markets in 2019, or that old customers are making more purchases.
The Global Organized Crime Index 2023
Saheed Aremu passionately advocates for digital privacy and cybersecurity in the modern digital age. As one of PrivacySavvy’s resident VPN experts, he guides readers on protecting their online information and anonymity. Saheed earned his degree in Technology and Ethics from the University of Lagos in Nigeria. Since then, he has dedicated his career to writing extensively about crucial infosec, data privacy, and cybersecurity topics. When he’s not empowering PrivacySavvy’s readers to take control of their online security, Saheed enjoys distance running, playing chess, and exploring the latest open-source software advancements. This explains how the market of the dark web marketplace is affected.
Finding Drugs (and People To Use Them With) On Dating Apps

Imagine trusting a site where you’ve been buying or selling for months, and everything seems legit. Some marketplace operators first build trust by running a legitimate platform. Understandably, as in the case with most illicit trade markets, you don’t even need to verify your email Awazon. When one goes down, two more emerge with new ideas, better technology, and greater difficulty to track. It’s an ever-evolving ecosystem—constantly shifting, reinventing itself, and adapting.
We developed Lunar to monitor the deep and dark web, including dark web marketplace sites. The Tor project gained notoriety for enabling illegal marketplaces like the Silk Road, a black market taken down by the FBI in 2013—and countless cybercriminal service providers ever since. Still, the Tor dark web browser also remains a vital tool for privacy-conscious users. There are many risks involved, including the quality and purity of the drugs, legal consequences, and scams. Darknet markets — also known as cryptomarkets — provide a largely anonymous platform for trading in a range of illicit goods and services. Accessing the dark web can only be done using specific browsers, such as TOR Browser.
Darknet Market List
- About a dozen of the site’s top drug dealers were arrested soon after the takeover, others are still under investigation.
- Unlike Tor, I2P is designed for peer-to-peer services like file sharing, email, forums, and even decentralized websites — all within its own closed network.
- 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.
- As mentioned earlier, launching a cyberattack doesn’t require any hacking skills.
- For any questions or doubts, either about the project or about us as research team, we remain active in this thread or through DM.
Despite their ubiquity, online drug markets have distinct geographical hubs, shaped by regional roles in the global trade. Most dark web drug shipments originate from the US and Northern and Western Europe, as well as Russia. Russia also recorded the highest proportion (85.7%) of drug users purchasing on the darknet in 2022, and a drug trafficking average of 5.75 in the 2023 Global Organized Crime Index. The shift to digital trade was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, as lockdowns pushed many consumers and vendors towards online platforms. As these transactions are more insular and anonymous than in-person trade, it is more difficult to track user behaviour.

Top 10 Dark Web Markets
It is also crucial not to view the online drug trade in isolation. 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. The other emerging issue is that current policing efforts treat dark web markets as the core threat, which might miss the wider landscape of digital harms. Illicit drug sales, for example, are promoted on social media, where platform features such as recommendation systems are affording new means of illicit drug supply.
Why Choose Archetyp Market?

The dark web is only accessible through specific software like Tor (The Onion Router). Also, while this huge portion of the internet has a reputation as home to nefarious activities like hacking and drug trafficking, it also harbors legitimate activities like journalists and whistleblowers. The internet is a wide landscape that comprises the surface part – the internet that we all know and the hidden portion. The hidden part of the internet is the larger portion that features over 95% of the entire internet.
Testing the first hypothesis highlights whether there are similarities or differences in the process of legal and illegal online shopping. Based on the answers to the related questions, we can highlight the most important trust factors in illegal trade. The first arrest and conviction of a person for dealing in drugs over Silk Road actually occurred in Australia, with the accused apprehended for trafficking in cocaine and MDMA.

Monero Darknet Markets
- These can be used to access sensitive information on corporate sites as well as personal bank accounts.
- It is also crucial not to view the online drug trade in isolation.
- They really don’t care about the loss and dilemma of the victims whose data has been stolen.
- It contains the Darknet Market Buyers Bible which is recommended to follow if you do happen to make a purchase on any Darknet market.
- Now, that is not to say illegal behavior is completely beyond detection.
This area comprises websites and content that are purposely kept hidden from public view. Who doesn’t like privacy, especially when dealing with the buying and selling of illegal products and services? Therefore, given the nature of anonymity and privacy of the dark web, several stores keep on emerging in the dark despite a continuous crackdown on several others. Cyber footprints are often left behind by vendors through slip-ups, such as communicating identifiable info from a username that can be linked back to the dealer in some way. Another way the researchers measured the resiliency of the Cryptomarket network was by the number of components – a group of buyers and sellers who are connected to each other, but separated from all other groups.
What Is Tor?
Once you have found a vendor, you can make a purchase by adding the item to your cart and proceeding to checkout. You will need to provide a shipping address, but it is important to use a fake name and address to maintain your anonymity. Payment is usually made in Bitcoin, so you will need to set up a Bitcoin wallet and purchase some coins before making a purchase. To access the darknet, you will need to download and install the Tor browser. This can be done by visiting the official Tor website and following the instructions provided. Once installed, you can access the darknet by typing in the appropriate .onion URLs.