4 Years After the 2017 Law Enforcement Takedown, Alphabay Is Once Again the King of Darknet Markets

Following the demise of the largest darknet marketplace (DNM) in mid-July 2017, the underground market Alphabay returned in August 2021, and during the last year, Alphabay has managed to once again regain its position as the world’s top DNM. Furthermore, Alphabay relentlessly conducted business amid a domino effect of DNMs folding last year and throughout … Read more

Accused Bitfinex Bitcoin Money Launderer Granted Permission to ‘Engage in Legitimate Employment’

On February 8, 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) arrested a couple that is accused of laundering 94,636 bitcoins stolen from Bitfinex in 2016. The DOJ alleges that the tech entrepreneur, Ilya Lichtenstein, and his wife Heather Morgan, conspired to launder billions of dollars worth of bitcoin. The duo could face 25 years in … Read more

Deep Web Confusion: Ostensible Alphabay Admin ‘Desnake’ Claims the Darknet Market Has Returned

In mid-July 2017, the largest darknet marketplace (DNM) Alphabay went dark and patrons didn’t know if the administrators were busted by law enforcement or if it was an exit scam. Not too long after the site went dark, law enforcement disclosed that an organized police task force, from various jurisdictions, infiltrated Alphabay alongside the DNM … Read more

Founder of the Bitcoin Mixer Helix Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Charges

Larry Dean Harmon, founder and operator of the bitcoin mixing service Helix has pleaded guilty on Wednesday to money laundering charges. Harmon’s guilty plea follows the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (Fincen) fining Harmon $60 million last year. Helix Operator Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering, Conspiracy Charges According to several reports and a court-issued … Read more

After Empire’s Exit Scam, Darknet Market Patrons Scramble to Find Alternatives

Ever since the darknet market (DNM) Empire went under, DNM patrons have been scrambling to find reliable marketplaces on the deep web. On forums, individuals are discussing which markets are safe, the logistics of how to use different DNMs, and how much they lost from Empire Market’s exit scam aftermath. Years ago, after the infamous … Read more

Berlusconi Admins Disappear — Darknet Users Rush to Find Alternatives

The darknet marketplace Berlusconi Market has been reportedly down for more than two weeks, according to users who patronize the hidden website. The outage has led many to believe the market administrators exit scammed with all the funds. While others speculate that government agents have infiltrated Berlusconi Market as there are no signs of the … Read more

Global Law Enforcement Has Auctioned Massive Amounts of Bitcoin

Last month, the U.K. police auctioned off roughly $300,000 worth of cryptocurrencies after they were confiscated by the country’s Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU). Since 2014, law enforcement agencies worldwide have been auctioning large sums of bitcoin seized during investigations. For some reason, governments don’t want the digital assets used in crimes and entities … Read more

Despite Setbacks, Darknet Markets Show Continuous Growth in 2019

Since the birth of the Silk Road, there’s been a cat and mouse game between global law enforcement and darknet market (DNM) operators. Over the last two years, law enforcement agencies have knocked out a slew of markets like Hansa and the massive Alphabay. Months later, Dream and Wall Street disappeared and online DNM communities … Read more

Report: Bitcoin Use on Darknet Markets Doubled in 2018

Bitcoin use on darknet markets (DNMs) doubled in 2018, a study has shown, rising to an average of $2 million per day. Bitcoin has long been used to buy goods on the darknet due to its relative anonymity, and looks set to remain a favorite on DNMs, despite the existence of more privacy-focused cryptocurrencies. Also … Read more