US Charges Empire Market Operators in $430M Dark Web Scheme — They Face Maximum Sentence of Life in Prison

The U.S. Homeland Security Investigations has charged two men for operating Empire Market, a dark web marketplace, facilitating $430 million in illegal transactions. The defendants face severe penalties, including life imprisonment. “During the investigation, federal law enforcement seized cryptocurrency valued at $75 million at the time of the seizures, as well as cash and precious … Read more

The Reported Number of Stolen BTC Drops by 92% as ‘Bitcoin Security Appears to Be Improving’

The number of stolen bitcoins that were publicly reported in 2020 dropped to 4,472 coins or 0.02% of the digital asset’s circulating supply. This new figure represents a 92% drop from the 56,870 reported in 2019. When using current bitcoin prices, the 2020 thefts caused losses that are equivalent to $140 million versus the 2019 … Read more

Hydra’s ‘Complex Drug Delivery System’ in Russia Overshadows Western Darknet Markets

On September 14, the blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis reported on the infamous Russian darknet marketplace (DNM) known as Hydra and noted the DNM is Eastern Europe’s “sixth-largest service by volume in the region.” Moreover, the report also reveals that Hydra has created a “complex drug delivery system” inside Russia and throughout various countries in Europe … 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

Sources Say World’s Largest Darknet Empire Market Exit Scammed, $30 Million in Bitcoin Stolen

One of the world’s largest darknet markets (DNM), Empire Market, allegedly exit scammed after the marketplace was taken offline for a number of days this week. DNM patrons are upset about Empire Market’s departure and customers say that $30 million in bitcoin held by the darknet’s admins has been stolen. Three days ago news.Bitcoin.com reported … Read more

Darknet Giant Empire Market Offline for 36 Hours, Blame Cast at Massive DDoS Attack

According to a number of sources, one of the largest darknet markets in the world, Empire Market has been offline for well over 36 hours. The researcher and analyst Dark.fail has been tweeting about the subject, as the market hasn’t been down for this long since 2019. It seems the popular darknet market (DNM) Empire … Read more

142 Million Guests: Hackers Attempt to Sell MGM Grand Data Dump for Cryptocurrency

Last year the giant resort firm MGM Grand was hacked and the cybercriminals ostensibly obtained a massive dump of names, addresses, phone numbers, and dates of birth. Now according to vendors on the deep web, hackers have been trying to sell the data dump for monero or bitcoin. The hackers claim the dump has over … Read more

The Covid-19 Crisis Fueled Darknet Markets – A Patron’s Biggest Concern Is Mail Disruption

Ever since the coronavirus outbreak swept the globe, darknet markets (DNM) have grown exponentially and the lockdowns worldwide are prompting first-time DNM buyers. Currently, the largest DNM on the invisible web is the marketplace Empire, and the only thing impeding the rush of DNM sales these days are the general worries over the postal and … Read more

Darknet Vendors Work Overtime as Police Halt Drug Arrests

The coronavirus is having a strange effect on the war on drugs. Narcotics activities that were deemed serious crimes only a week ago have been dropped by U.S. law enforcement, who have greater concerns now that cities are under effective lockdown. Meanwhile, darknet vendors are doing their best to match increased demand for mail order … Read more

How Popular Is the Dark Web in India? A Look at Increasing Tech Use and Free Market Potential

Now that the Reserve Bank of India’s banking ban on cryptocurrencies has been lifted by a recent Supreme Court decision, there is reinvigorated interest in bitcoin within the South Asian nation. Exchanges can reconnect to banking institutions and offer the support they formerly did to their customers. But what about those who prefer to continue … Read more