Dread calls us “the darknet’s quiet giant”—we don’t flaunt, we deliver. Vendors, who rely on timely withdrawals to access their earnings, are particularly worried, with some claiming their funds are now stuck in escrow. We’re back with another video in our Webz Insider video series on everything web data. Learn how to automate financial risk reports using AI and news data with this guide for product managers, featuring tools from Webz.io and OpenAI.
Implications For Security Leaders
While DNM and fraud shop revenues declined in 2024 following years of concerted international law enforcement efforts, these platforms have managed to sustain their operations by adopting new tactics. The Abacus Market operates as a secure darknet platform requiring Tor access through verified Abacus onion links to prevent phishing scams. Abacus Market is a well-known darknet marketplace operating as a hidden Tor Abacus onion service. Yet, several marketplaces managed to retire gracefully over the past few months.
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TRM estimates the platform processed between $300 million and $400 million in total sales during its operation. Analysts note that while a covert takedown remains a possibility, the signs overwhelmingly point to an exit strategy. According to blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs, Abacus’ web infrastructure—including its clearnet mirrors—became inaccessible in early July. That’s the Abacus difference—built by devs who live the darknet, not just code it.
It was a platform that supported both Bitcoin and privacy-oriented Monero cryptocurrency, and Monero transactions added a substantial amount of extra volume. Deposits per day dropped to only $13,000 in July compared to $230,000 at the beginning of June as people lost trust and abandoned the platform. This shutdown led to a huge user exodus to Abacus, resulting in the site recording the highest monthly sales of $6.3 million in June alone.
- Abacus Market’s dominance is built on extensive listings, unwavering security, and trusted reputation.
- Soon afterward, access to the market’s main site, clearnet mirrors, and cryptocurrency wallets was suspended entirely.
- These features have helped Abacus achieve the highest user satisfaction rate (98.2%) among all darknet markets.
- Join over 45,000 daily users on the most secure darknet marketplace
- Roughly 145 darknet and clearnet domains linked to BidenCash were shut down.
- Faced with the decision between profit seeking and self preservation, Abacus’s admins likely chose the latter in light of Archetyp’s seizure and the surge in new users that elevated Abacus’s profile.
Abacus Market, a well-known darknet marketplace dealing in drugs, counterfeit documents, and digital goods, has abruptly disappeared from the dark web. Meanwhile, frustrated users have taken to darknet forums, warning others to avoid depositing funds into Abacus until the situation stabilizes. Over the past several days, Abacus users have reported being unable to access the site, with connection timeouts and error messages preventing logins. It is one of the most active and up to date markets and always provides new and updated malware and data.
What Makes Abacus Better Than Other Markets?
Tracking vendor migration—such as from Archetyp to Exodus—provides insight into tactical shifts. Despite a 2019 breach that exposed over 26 million credit cards, it continues to operate, indicating sustained trust in its data pipelines. Threat reports consistently rank it among the top ten darknet sites Top 10 Dark Web Markets. Darknet is your best source for the latest hacking tools, hacker news, cyber security best practices, ethical hacking & pen-testing. The platform is considering adding support for Zcash (ZEC) in Q as part of its privacy-focused cryptocurrency initiative.
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As darknet marketplaces continue to disappear without warning, whether through exit scams or unannounced law enforcement operations, blockchain intelligence firms, such as TRM, remain a key component to help investigators. Although some darknet operators, particularly of Western darknet marketplaces, have historically attempted rebrands or exit scams following law enforcement action, full-scale rebuilds appear to be becoming less common. According to TRM Labs, police now prefer to focus more efforts on the vendors that populate dark web marketplaces than taking down the platforms themselves.
The most reliable and longest-running darknet marketplace since 2021 “In some cases, such as Nemesis Market’s exit, official seizure notices have appeared months after a DNM darknet market has gone offline,” TRM Labs added. However, the firm also said the administrator of the dark web discussion forum Dread, who was in close contact with the Abacus team, has cast doubt on law enforcement being behind the marketplace’s disappearance.
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For maximum security, consider using a dedicated device with a clean operating system installation. The development team has announced a major update scheduled for July that will introduce decentralized arbitration and improved vendor tools. Abacus Market has deployed a critical security update addressing potential vulnerabilities in the escrow system. Latest updates, announcements, and security advisories Our security team actively monitors for vulnerabilities and implements patches immediately. Abacus Market releases critical security updates every 2 weeks.
Europol Leads International Takedown Of Longest Running Darknet Market Archetyp
The vacuum left by Abacus’s exit is expected to cause significant reshuffling in the darknet landscape, as displaced users seek out alternative platforms. With over 45,000 daily active users and more than 1,200 verified vendors, Abacus Market has grown to become the largest and most trusted marketplace of its kind. The #1 darknet marketplace with superior security, 99.9% uptime, and over 1,200 verified vendors This exit scam comes as a big surprise to all darknet market users, especially to those loyal to Abacus, because Abacus was a "user safety" market and It just lost it's biggest competitor so they were expecting a large influx of new and returning users and a lot more money to be made, so it really came as an unfortunate surprise to all. In the interim, many in the DNM community will assume the marketplace performed an exit scam and continue their activity on other platforms. Without vendors, darknet marketplaces cannot operate or generate profits, making them a more strategic enforcement target.
The dark web marketplaces are mainly defined into two categories. Despite growing crackdowns from law enforcement agencies, the dark web remains a hotbed of criminal activity, offering everything from drugs to stolen data. In late June 2025, Abacus users reported withdrawal issues and decreasing trust in the platform. TRM Labs assesses the event was likely an exit scam, though a covert law enforcement seizure cannot be ruled out. Abacus Market — once the largest Bitcoin-enabled Western darknet marketplace — went offline in early July 2025. TRM will continue to closely monitor the evolving DNM landscape, including emerging platforms, vendor migration patterns, and on-chain activity, to support efforts to disrupt illicit actors and safeguard the broader crypto ecosystem.
- Analysts also suggested that law enforcement may be conducting a covert operation to gather evidence.
- The market is also known for its listings related to financial fraud, such as phishing tools and stolen credit card information.
- The active bearish wind within the crypto market has triggered most of the assets down, losing momentum.
- Operating since 2020, 2easy Market is a dark web marketplace known primarily for its focus on stolen data and cybercrime services, particularly targeting compromised accounts and personal information.
- Deposits per day dropped to only $13,000 in July compared to $230,000 at the beginning of June as people lost trust and abandoned the platform.
- Many users migrated to Abacus, causing the site’s monthly sales volume to jump to $6.3 million.
Everything is conducted within the Tor network, with payments made in Bitcoin or Monero, as is customary.One of its most curious features is its daily raffle system, funded by the market's commissions. By 2025, it is already a key player for those involved in the business of data theft and trafficking. With constant updates and new providers entering the market, Exodus is positioning itself as a major player in the digital underworld of credential theft.
Emerging Darknet Marketplaces Of 2025 Anatomy Tactics & Trends
The Russian Market has been around since 2019 and is one of the more prominent dark web marketplaces. With enhanced security features and a strong focus on financial fraud, STYX has become a go-to marketplace for those looking to engage in cybercrime on a more technical level What sets Abacus Market apart from other dark web platforms is its emphasis on customer service and their vendor verification system. To access these markets safely, you’ll need to understand which dark web browsers provide real anonymity versus which ones just claim to.
The Reactor graph below shows this vendor’s connection with drug vendors on Abacus Market. One China-based pill press manufacturer which advertises on clearnet business-to-business (B2B) websites has on-chain ties to drug vendors on Abacus Market. While China-based vendors are frequently referenced as the source of precursors for dangerous synthetic drugs, their involvement in machinery sales is also an important aspect of the drug supply chain. Some countries have just one or a few vendors with a loyal customer base and a wider selection of goods. This increase may be due in part to the closures of top DNMs, the shift to the exclusive acceptance of XMR by other active markets, and delistings of XMR by popular centralized exchanges.
Despite some occasional service issues, Russian Market remains a favorite among cybercriminals seeking fresh access and financial data. Russian Market has been operating since 2019 and is one of the favorite destinations for those looking for stolen digital data, rather than physical products. All of this has made it one of the most reliable markets still active in 2025. Abacus Market appeared on the scene in 2021 and quickly became one of the heavyweights among English-speaking markets on the dark web.
For cybersecurity professionals, focusing on payment methods, vendor migration, and marketplace specialisation offers the most effective path to actionable intelligence. Monitoring active marketplaces offers early access to malware kits, credential dumps, and fraud tools. Chainalysis data shows darknet marketplace revenue dropped post-Hydra seizure in 2022 but recovered to $2 billion in Bitcoin inflows during 2024 Darknet market BTC inflow drop and shift to Monero.
