FILE PHOTO: Nicolai Tangen, CEO of Norges Bank Investment Management, speaks at the ReutersNEXT Newsmaker event in New York City, New York, U.S., November 8, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
Monero’s ring signatures, stealth addresses, and RingCT ensure untraceable trades. In 2025, 95% of markets prefer XMR over BTC’s public ledger, with transaction volume up 60% since 2023. Today’s markets reflect a decade of evolution, balancing user demand with operational security against an ever-present cat-and-mouse game with authorities. Due to law enforcement, many markets now require invites, referrals, or verified PGP identities. Revenues for the fraud shops on the right side of the chart declined, suggesting their dependence on UAPS for payment infrastructure.
Ignoring dark web activity leaves organizations blind to critical signals that often precede full-scale attacks. The dark web is evolving rapidly, driven by new technologies, global enforcement efforts, and shifting threat actor behaviors. Here’s a forecast of what’s likely to emerge in 2026 and beyond, based on current trends, expert projections, and cyber threat intelligence.
- Nexus stands out for its streamlined interface and vendor reputation system, while Abacus offers competitive pricing and a wider product range.
- Along with its listings for large pill press machines, the vendor does not hide the sale of Oxycontin and Xanax TDP die kits, which are used to press counterfeit pills.
- These may include automated escrow services, streamlined dispute resolution processes, and improved security and anonymity measures.
- Although CEXs remain a stable destination in the DNM ecosystem, the pattern of sending funds to them shifted in 2024, as illustrated in the chart below.
- mark it means it has been verified as a scam service and it should be avoided.
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Cryptocurrency Threat Actors

For example, in the screenshot below, an American vendor lists protonitazene powder, and advertises its uses as a counterfeit for oxycodone, also referred to as “M30” (i.e. 30 mg). Below is a screenshot from the Abacus Market website showing the range of items it sells, with drugs and chemicals representing the overwhelming majority of its products. Since 2021, Abacus Market’s revenue has increased substantially, and in 2024, it more than doubled, growing by 183.2% YoY.
US Government Shared Services
Infostealer threat actors specialize in malware that harvests personal data without consent, such as login credentials, bank accounts, and social security numbers. Their tools often spread through phishing campaigns or compromised software downloads, enabling crimes such as identity theft. As a hidden part of the Internet, the dark web is an ideal base for many cybercrime networks, hosting illegal marketplaces, anonymous forums, unethical software, and more. Part of the operation to close the Monopoly marketplace, the arrests shed light on some scary facts about the Dark Web. Namely, during the operation, the authorities seized $53.4 million in cash and cryptocurrency, 117 firearms, and 850 kg (1,874 pounds) of illegal drugs.
Prioritize Escrow
The top 10 also included Bangladesh (78), Ethiopia (75), Nepal (75), Cameroon (67), Tanzania (66), Nigeria (65), and Sri Lanka (63 index points). The dark web and its adjacent underground economy in 2025 have reached new heights of sophistication, scale, and resilience. The ecosystem’s rapid ability to absorb shocks—from the takedown of major players to the introduction of AI moderation—demonstrates its robustness. Platforms like Russian Market, Exodus, STYX, and Abacus not only replace their predecessors but often improve on them, embedding better security, user experience, and operational agility. Although Telegram introduced AI-powered moderation in late 2024, its impact has been limited. Many cybercriminal groups have simply migrated to platforms like Signal, Discord, or decentralized communication protocols.

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It also masks your IP address, making it difficult for government agencies to monitor or track your activities. We recommend using NordVPN as it offers top-notch security features, including dark web threat protection. Tor2door’s been a standout since 2020—over 20,000 listings and a custom-built site that’s not some cookie-cutter junk. They take BTC and Monero, with multi-signature escrow and global shipping—vendors swear by it, and I’ve snagged rare stuff (think DMT or niche scripts) without a hitch.
Cryptocurrency
At that price, Maltese passports were the most expensive forged physical documents on darknet markets. French, Dutch, and select EU passports all cost $3,000 apiece, Polish passports went for $2,500 each, US passports sold for $2,000, while Lithuanian passports cost $1,800 each. Other popular physical documents included EU driver’s licenses ($2,000 apiece), EU national IDs ($1,700 on average), forged US green cards ($450), and IDs of several US states ($200). A recent study found that only a tiny portion of Tor’s daily users connect to the Dark Web with the intent to engage in illicit activities. As its contents are unindexed, it’s impossible to determine the Dark Web’s exact size. In fact, the Dark Web is a small subset of a much larger Deep Web — a part of the internet containing all the pages hidden from search engines for privacy and security reasons.

For operations security he suggests avoiding storing conversation logs, varying writing styles, avoiding mobile phone-based tracking and leaking false personal details to further obfuscate one’s identity. We are also seeing a continued trend vis-à-vis the types of assets involved in crypto crime. This website is made public with the intention to aid the Internet users with navigation of the so called dark web. We are not responsible for any harm or loss you may receive by following links listed on this site. If the operating system detects any non-anonymous connection, it blocks it, thus ensuring maximum online protection. Always use a fake name and a temporary email address when you buy something from dark net shops.
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Silk Road 2.0 was launched soon after the original Silk Road was seized and since that time there has been a proliferation of darknet markets.. Additionally, the rise of cryptomarkets has introduced innovative solutions for seamless transactions. These platforms utilize decentralized technologies to eliminate single points of failure, reducing the risk of shutdowns or data breaches. The combination of Tor markets and cryptomarkets has created a robust ecosystem where users can trade drugs with confidence, knowing their identities and activities are protected. Its look, design, options, and interface are exactly the exact copy of its competitor, but everything else, including buyers, vendors, and servers, is different. At its launch, the platform accepted payments through Litecoin, but now it has incorporated support for other payment methods like Monero and Bitcoin.
While browsing online, you might have noticed that the websites you are visiting have URLs starting … Yes, the dark web is still active in 2025, with both legal and illegal content. The landscape of darkweb markets has evolved significantly over the years, with 2024 presenting new trends, challenges, and opportunities for those involved in these underground economies. This article delves into the current state of darkweb markets, backed by statistics, comparisons, and predictions for the years 2024 and 2025. Kaspersky GReAT experts uncovered a new campaign by Lazarus APT that exploits vulnerabilities in South Korean software products and uses a watering hole approach.

- Ransomware gangs are also expected to diversify their tactics, targeting smaller companies and individual users to maximize their reach.
- While browsing online, you might have noticed that the websites you are visiting have URLs starting …
- For example, threat actors may employ AI tools to gather information about individuals from social media and other online sources, crafting highly targeted attacks that are harder to detect.
- The aforementioned Tor browser has established itself as the go-to browser for accessing the Dark Web.
Darknet markets url lists are updated regularly, ensuring access to the best darknet markets. The dark market 2025 landscape shows growth, with tor markets adapting to demand. The darknet continues to provide a secure platform for drug trade, with markets like Nexus and Abacus leading in 2025. These platforms prioritize user safety through advanced encryption, escrow systems, and anonymous transactions.
Secure Drug Trade On Darknet With Tor And Cryptocurrencies
This ongoing battle between criminals and law enforcement will shape the future of darknet activities. Artificial intelligence (AI) is set to play an increasingly prominent role in cybercrime. Criminals are leveraging AI technologies to automate attacks, analyze vast amounts of data, and create more sophisticated phishing schemes.
Since then, however, we have observed a steady diversification away from BTC, with stablecoins now occupying the majority of all illicit transaction volume (63% of all illicit transactions). This new reality is part of a broader ecosystem trend in which stablecoins also occupy a sizable percentage of all crypto activity, demonstrated by total growth YoY in stablecoin activity around 77%. Additionally, stablecoin issuers often freeze funds if they are made aware of their use by illicit actors. For example, Tether has frozen addresses of concern linked to scams, terrorist financing, and sanctions evasion, which can make stablecoins a poor tool for the transfer of value by illicit actors. The use of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Monero remains central to the darknet ecosystem, providing anonymity and reducing the risk of financial tracking.