The site gives out free samples of the stolen data every now and then to gain more customers. With its fast rise to fame and focus on money fraud, it’s no surprise that cybersecurity experts are keeping a very close eye on this one. Plus, there’s a thorough vetting process for new buyers and sellers to keep the community more secure. In a way, it feels more like a private club than an open market, and that’s exactly how the operators want it. While this market started in Canada in 2021, WeTheNorth now sells to both Canadian and international users.
- In the next step, a comparative analysis across different Russian regions was performed to understand the variations in drug trade patterns.
- For cocaine and other stimulants such as ecstasy and amphetamines, a number of EU countries report a decrease in availability during spring 2020 6.
- This highly curated approach ensures quality, consistency, and a marketplace environment built specifically for cannabis enthusiasts no surprises, no shady listings, and no off topic clutter.
- The analysis is based on data collected from 500 listings by approximately 140 sellers, originating from 18 countries.
- The findings provide insights into the functioning of online drug markets and the determinants of cannabis prices in this context.
Trends In European Cannabis Retail Markets
We developed a quantitative questionnaire with 21 items indicating trust, based on previous research on the role of trust in surface web and darknet (drug) trade. To test out this measurement tool, we selected a population less likely to purchase illegal drugs offline but more willing to do it online, anonymously, and privately, while its purchase intention is still likely to be reversible. In early July, 2025, Abacus Market, the largest Bitcoin-enabled Western darknet marketplace (DNM), went offline, rendering all internet-facing infrastructure, including its clearnet mirror, inaccessible. TRM Labs assesses that the marketplace’s operators have likely conducted an exit scam, shutting down operations and disappearing with users’ funds.
Publication Types
Tor remains the most prevalent method due to its ease of use and robust anonymity features, but the popularity of I2P is steadily growing due to its increased resistance to surveillance and censorship. Established in 2019, Russian Market is a well-known and highly regarded data store on the dark web, specializing in the sale of PII and various forms of stolen data. Despite its name, the marketplace operates primarily in English and serves a global audience. It has gained a reputation for being a reliable source of high-quality data for cybercriminals. It has built a reputation for being a reliable source of stolen credit card data and PII.
Dark-web marketplaces attract sophisticated cybercriminals adept at launching phishing scams, malware attacks, or ransomware threats. Buyers and sellers frequently face risks from malicious actors posing as legitimate vendors or customers, potentially leading to financial loss or exposure of sensitive personal information. Dark-web marketplaces often attract attention due to their association with illicit activities; however, these platforms also serve legitimate purposes that align closely with principles of online privacy and freedom of information. Understanding both the lawful and unlawful scenarios helps provide a balanced view of their practical applications in 2025. The best marketplaces in 2025 cater to diverse needs, offering a broad spectrum of products ranging from privacy-enhancing software, digital documents, and cryptocurrency exchanges to more sensitive or controversial goods. Marketplaces that maintain strict moderation policies—banning excessively harmful or exploitative products—also gain popularity among more ethically minded users.
Discussion On Estimating Drug Markets
- TRM Labs assesses the event was likely an exit scam, though a covert law enforcement seizure cannot be ruled out.
- There are also many official forums where you can find the darknet market you need.
- I’ve used it; shipping’s discreet—plain packages or DeadDrops—and uptime’s been flawless, rivaling Abacus.
- The first category includes classic marketplaces, which serve as one-stop shops for a wide range of illegal goods.
- In the EWSD sample, the proportion of respondents buying herbal cannabis directly from a dealer ranged from 94 % in Bulgaria to 76 % in Finland, Latvia and Sweden.
- The most potent cannabis herb originated from France, with an average 17% content of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive compound in cannabis), followed by Canada with 16.5% of THC.
The site’s unique—loads fast, looks sharp, and vendors get treated right, keeping turnover low. I’ve used it; shipping’s discreet—plain packages or DeadDrops—and uptime’s been flawless, rivaling Abacus. It’s not as community-driven as Bohemia, but the polish makes up for it—feels like a pro operation, not a fly-by-night deal. If you’re after a darknet market with variety and a forward-thinking edge, Tor2door Market’s a contender—watch it close in 2025 as that AI kicks in. Bohemia popped up post-Hydra takedown and brings a fresh vibe—drugs (weed, pills, some coke) and digital goodies like hacked logins, no exact listing count, but it’s growing fast.
The Top 7 Dark Web Marketplaces In 2025
Yes, We The North Marketplace offers low vendor fees, encrypted messaging, PGP support, and a secure environment for Canadian sellers. The official We The North market URL is a hidden service accessible through the TOR network. WeTheNorth Marketplace provides cannabis flowers, oils, edibles, accessories, and more through a safe, encrypted Canadian platform.
What Do People Sell Or Exchange On Darknet Markets?
Others are looking for stolen data, hacking services, or even banned books and political content. As of 2020, nearly 57% of the dark web was estimated to contain illegal content, including violence and extremist platforms. Furthermore, we find that cannabis prices are affected by quality, as measured by the success of the particular cannabis strain in the Cannabis Cup.
Data Parsing And Categorizing
Cannabis is bought, sold and traded in a variety of ways across Europe using both offline and online methods. Offline methods include the use of dealers in open, semi-open and closed settings. Open markets can be street-based markets (May and Hough, 2004; Skliamis and Korf, 2022) while semi-open markets are often located in clubs and other quasi-private settings (Tzanetakis, 2018). Furthermore, in their analysis of 66 vaping products in seized 2019, the Swedish National Forensic Centre found that the majority contained delta-9-THC at concentrations above 80 %. Several of these products had apparently been legally manufactured in the United States, while others had been illicitly manufactured (Sweden communication to the EU Early Warning System).
The buyers, or “consumers,” are cybercriminals who use these tools to launch illegal activities. The victims, who are common users, businesses, and even banks, who end up paying the price. It became the blueprint for other dark web marketplaces that tried to take its place. Just like on the regular internet, phishing is a big problem on the dark web as well.
Notably, Abacus explicitly forbids highly dangerous goods, including weapons, explosives, and exploitative material, which has helped maintain a relatively favorable reputation among its user base. We’re back with another video in our Webz Insider video series on everything web data. Established in 2022, WizardShop is one of the biggest data stores on the dark web, focusing mainly on carding and financial data.
This trend corresponds with a systematic increase in the criminal market scores relating to illicit drugs in the latest Global Organized Crime Index. These scores measure the pervasiveness and impact of various illicit economies and activities, and in 2023 all drug market indicators worsened compared to the previous iteration of the Index. The global score for the heroin trade rose from 3.97 to 4.08, for cocaine from 4.52 to 4.82, for cannabis from 5.10 to 5.34 and for synthetic drugs from 4.62 to 4.95 out of 10. Indeed, between 2021 and 2023, every continent of the world experienced an average increase in drug scores for three out of the four drug markets the Index evaluates. Abacus Market appeared on the scene in 2021 and quickly became one of the heavyweights among English-speaking markets on the dark web. The categories are well organized, ranging from drugs and fraud to digital products, guides, and malware.What really sets it apart is its focus on security and usability.
Cannabis influencers, that is, individuals promoting cannabis products to their followers on social media platforms, have become particularly active on Instagram. While most cannabis influencers appear to be male, there are indications that female influencers are becoming more active on social media (Bakken and Harder, 2022). This may be part of a broader push towards commercialising cannabis and attempting to sell licensed and unlicensed products to a mainstream audience, in addition to influencing ongoing policy debates. The Netherlands (32 %), Germany (20 %) and Spain (20 %) together accounted for the majority of such listings. Quantities between 1 and 3 kilograms were typically offered for between EUR 1 000/kilogram and EUR 4 950/kilogram. However, due to the limited price data available for analysis, caution should be exercised when interpreting these findings.
