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. Ransomware and cryptocurrency-based crimes saw a significant increase in 2023, with a nearly $176 million rise compared to 2022. In 2019, there were approximately 8,400 active sites on the dark web, selling thousands of products and services daily. Though OFAC and the US Department of Justice (DOJ) have taken action to stem the flow of precursors, six of the manufacturers in TRM’s study continued to advertise precursors even after being sanctioned or indicted. We calculate our valuations based on the total circulating supply of an asset multiplied by the currency reference price.
- STYX Market focuses specifically on financial fraud, making it a go-to destination for cybercriminals engaged in this activity.
- However, they all share the same moniker — every coin issued after Bitcoin is considered to be an altcoin.
- The Sinaloa Cartel is known to use digital currencies to settle debts with suppliers and purchase goods from Chinese manufacturers, which are then resold in Mexico and South America to generate clean revenue.
- Players in the Philippines can check the price of SLP to PHP today directly on CoinMarketCap.
- And one of the most important tools an investor can use to protect themselves from losses or fraud is education, says Lucas Matheson, the CEO of Coinbase Canada, a registered crypto dealer in Ontario.
The 10 Biggest Dark Web Markets In 2025 – Updated List & Security Insights
For even more insights and analysis on cryptocurrency’s role in the drug precursor market, be sure to download your copy of our “Beyond Fentanyl” report. Since it is open source, it is possible for other people to use the majority of the code, make a few changes and then launch their own separate currency. Some of these coins are very similar to Bitcoin, with just one or two amended features (such as Litecoin), while others are very different, with varying models of security, issuance and governance. However, they all share the same moniker — every coin issued after Bitcoin is considered to be an altcoin. Established in 2022, WizardShop is one of the biggest data stores on the dark web, focusing mainly on carding and financial data. Its focus on financial fraud and high-value transactions has attracted a dedicated user base, contributing to its growing reputation and market value.
Beyond Fentanyl: TRM Report Reveals Cryptocurrency’s Role In The International Drug Precursor Market
When in doubt, double-check a company with multiple sources, such as an investment adviser. Eventually, the victims discover the profit they supposedly made was fake and they’ve lost their crypto and their money. Often with crypto fraud schemes, individuals come across online ads to buy crypto for as little as $250, Armit says. Once they invest, the suspect will direct them to a web page to show them how much their money has grown and encourage them to invest more. 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.
Top Dark Web Marketplaces Of 2025: A Deeper Dive Into Illicit Trade Markets
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.
Ready To Explore Web Data At Scale?
This article reveals the top 10 dark web markets dominating in 2025, their unique characteristics, and the critical implications for enterprise cybersecurity. Torzon Market has established itself as a significant player in the darknet ecosystem, offering a secure, user-centric platform for anonymous trading. Its commitment to privacy, diverse product offerings, and robust security measures make it a preferred choice for users seeking discreet transactions within the darknet. 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.
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 developed Lunar to monitor the deep and dark web, including dark web marketplace sites.
CISOs Brace For Supply Chain Attacks With Proactive Attack Surface Monitoring
Apart from the dark web markets that are operating online today, some raided platforms influenced many markets. It has a bidding feature, with new batches of stolen data being frequently added. Some markets are invite-only or have strict registration rules to keep out scammers and law enforcement. TRM experts examined hundreds of advertisements from the Chinese precursor manufacturers evaluated in our study, and found that the top five markets targeted were Canada, the Netherlands, Australia, Germany, and the US.
Fill out the form to speak with our team about investigative professional services. One of the biggest winners is Axie Infinity — a Pokémon-inspired game where players collect Axies (NFTs of digital pets), breed and battle them against other players to earn Smooth Love Potion (SLP) — the in-game reward token. This game was extremely popular in developing countries like The Philippines, due to the level of income they could earn. Players in the Philippines can check the price of SLP to PHP today directly on CoinMarketCap.
How Do We Calculate The Cryptocurrency Market Cap?
Since 2020, 2easy has sold massive stealer logs with sensitive data like passwords, bank cards, and initial access credentials. It supports operations in multiple languages and operates on both clearnet and Tor. Armit says though the OPP has seen extortion frauds in the past, November’s incident was unusual and suspects similar extortion incidents could occur sooner than later. “We’re just finding that organized crime is being more brazen nowadays,” he said.
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.
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.
How To Protect Your Identity While Browsing The Dark Web
The problem is so concerning to police that last month, the OPP launched an initiative called Project Atlas to fight cryptocurrency investment fraud and protect victims in Ontario and abroad. 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. At the time of writing, we estimate that there are more than 2 million pairs being traded, made up of coins, tokens and projects in the global coin market.
