US Government Transfers $243 Million in Seized Bitcoin to Coinbase

On June 26, 2024, the U.S. government transferred 3,940 bitcoins, valued at $243 million, originating from a darknet market dealer. This batch of BTC was directed to an exchange address tagged as Coinbase. U.S. Law Enforcement Moves 3,940 Bitcoin The U.S. government executed this transfer of 3,940 BTC valued at $243 million. This action by … Read more

Russian Darknet Markets, Ransomware Groups Thrive Despite Sanctions, Report

Russian marketplaces on the dark web have continued to operate despite Western sanctions and efforts to shut them down, according to a report accessing the illicit blockchain space amid the world’s “first crypto war.” Ransomware actors and high-risk crypto exchanges have also remained active. Underground Russian Crypto Platforms Adapting to Disruptions Caused by Ukraine War … Read more

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

Feds Seize $34 Million in Crypto From Unidentified Florida Man

On April 4, 2022, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of South Florida revealed that law enforcement seized $34 million in crypto assets from an unidentified man living in Florida. According to the DOJ, the man allegedly conducted more than 100,000 sales on darknet markets, selling online account information tied to … Read more

US Sanctions Russian Crypto Broker Suex for Laundering Millions in Illicit Funds

The U.S. Treasury Department has blacklisted Suex, a cryptocurrency broker based in Russia, for its money laundering activities. The platform is suspected of processing hundreds of millions of dollars in crypto transactions related to scams, ransomware attacks, darknet markets, and the infamous BTC-e exchange. OFAC Adds Russian Crypto OTC Exchange Suex to Blacklist The Office … Read more

Darknet Update: Hydra Reigns, Monero Acceptance Climbs, Russian State Collusion Questioned

At the end of 2020, darknet markets (DNM) set new records as marketplaces like White House and the Russian-language DNM Hydra led the pack. A report published on May 25, shows Hydra saw a 624% year-over-year growth rate in three years, and researchers estimate roughly 75% of illicit DNM transactions stem from the Russian marketplace. … Read more

Crypto Crime Fell Sharply to Only 0.3% of All Cryptocurrency Activity in 2020

A study by blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis finds that cryptocurrency-related crime has fallen significantly. The criminal share of all crypto activity fell to just 0.34% in 2020. This contradicts recent statements by U.S. Treasury Secretary nominee Janet Yellen and ECB President Christine Lagarde that cryptocurrencies are mostly used for illicit financing. Crypto Crime Plummeted in … Read more

Darknet Giant White House Market Drops Bitcoin, Supports Monero Payments Only

The prominent darknet marketplace, White House Market, has dropped bitcoin payments and now accepts monero only. The darknet marketplace administrators detailed that there was an issue with a payment processor blocking Tor exit nodes, but the full transition to monero was always planned. A number of crypto proponents have reported on the darknet marketplace, White … Read more

Televend’s Complex System of Telegram Drug Bots Swell as German Police Seize 9 Telegram Drug Channels

During the last few months following the departure of the infamous Empire darknet market (DNM), a great number of DNM users have been flocking to alternative vendors. More recently, a new bot service on Telegram called Televend has been attracting tens of thousands of users and the service has grown colossal since it was first … Read more