But it also means it is a popular choice for criminals, money launderers, and as the go-to currency on darknet marketplaces. Department of Justice announced the results of Operation RapTor—an unprecedented international crackdown on darknet narcotics trafficking. Tor2door’s a standout since 2020 with 20,000+ listings and a custom design that’s not off-the-shelf junk. BTC and Monero accepted, with multi-signature escrow and global shipping—vendors love it, and I’ve seen why after snagging some rare stuff hassle-free. Drugs dominate, but digital goods are picking up—ties into the Telegram trend with side hustles.
Monero: All About The Top Privacy Coin
AlphaBay, the former darknet marketplace, listed Monero in 2016, occupies the title of the privacy coin of choice for darknet markets. It was quite popular for selling a wide range of products and services. It offers impressive features, including PGP-signed addresses, payment via Monera, sticky and featured listings, and auto shops. In 2017, the website went offline following a law enforcement action taken by the American, Canadian, and Thai authorities, but since August 2021, it’s been operational again. Darknet markets are encrypted online platforms where users buy and sell goods anonymously, often using Tor or I2P and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Monero.
Top Darknet Markets 2025
Privacy-focused operators are shifting to Monero due to its default anonymity, compared to Bitcoin’s transparent ledger Darknet markets see BTC inflow drop to $2B. DarkFox Market is the largest dark web shop selling various products and attracting more vendors and users. It is a wallet-based shop, meaning you must first deposit bitcoins into your wallet before purchasing any goods and services. The marketplace is much more organized, which makes it easy to use and navigate. As the demand for darknet drug trade grows, these markets are expected to continue improving their infrastructure, offering users even greater levels of privacy and efficiency.
Both offer an array of illicit goods, including hard drugs, malware, stolen accounts and more. While hard statistics are scarce, darknet markets have continued gradual growth for years. And as cryptocurrencies themselves regularly reach new highs, they bring the darknet along with them. 2024 projections suggest privacy networks will continue advancing, not receding, but the opaqueness of these spaces makes specific forecasts difficult. Expect to see higher floors, even if not major spikes, across dark markets.
Archetyp Market: The Digital Underground Shaken
Anything from planting malware and stealing sensitive files to hijacking email accounts or breaking into social media profiles. It’s also a marketplace for digital mercenaries; you’ll find everything from solo hackers offering their skills to well-organized groups that take on more complex or high-stakes projects. Some even have connections to criminal organizations and, in more serious cases, government-backed operations. Want to get illegal drugs, fake passports, Trojan, or other cyber attack software? The dark web is designed in such a manner that it hides the identities and locations of its visitors.
Monero’s Privacy-enhancing Features
With 2FA and escrow, it feels safe enough, and it rarely goes offline. Still, even with these crackdowns and better defenses, dark web markets just keep coming back. As long as people want to buy and sell illegal stuff online, be it stolen data, narcotics, drugs, or malware, these markets will keep resurfacing, no matter how many times authorities take them down. Despite Telegram’s anonymity, the dark web is still a hot spot for illegal trading of malware, illicit goods, and stolen data (such as stolen credit card information). Even with the increase in law enforcement pressure, the dark web market still achieved a revenue of $2 billion in 2024. Therefore, as long as this dark part of the internet exists, these marketplaces will flourish and emerge.
Torrez Market
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. Ulbricht faced several serious charges, including distributing illegal drugs, running a criminal enterprise, hacking, trafficking fake IDs, and money laundering. In the end, he was sentenced to life in prison for running one of the largest and most scandalous dark web cases in history. While this may all sound sophisticated, it is a financial crime and very risky. Those who use these services can still be traced and prosecuted if caught, especially as law enforcement continues to sharpen its tracking tools.
The Decentralized Shift
The platform’s activity has increased significantly over the past year, indicating its growing influence and market share in the underground economy. 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. Its focus on financial fraud and high-value transactions has attracted a dedicated user base, contributing to its growing reputation and market value. To expand their reach, some marketplaces established parallel channels on Telegram.
Money Laundering
- Some even have connections to criminal organizations and, in more serious cases, government-backed operations.
- They suffer losses such as identity theft, financial loss, and emotional distress due to damage to their personal and professional lives.
- Darknet markets received just over $2 billion in Bitcoin on-chain, while fraud shops saw $225 million, showing a 50% drop compared to the previous year.
- Nexus Darknet Market seems to have the goal of uniting buyers and vendors in a single platform, It offers Walletless Pay, Escrow, PGP 2-FA and more.
- If you think the Dark web marketplaces are just online shops, you’re wrong — these sites are the actual weapon stores for criminals.
The demand for pharmaceuticals on darknet markets remains high, with a focus on prescription medications, nootropics, and performance-enhancing drugs. These products are often sourced from international suppliers, ensuring competitive pricing and a wide variety of options. Digital products, such as e-books, software, and online courses, also play a significant role in the ecosystem, catering to a diverse audience. In conclusion, the darknet continues to evolve, providing a secure and efficient platform for drug trade.
This can be stopped if law enforcement agencies can break any link, particularly dark web marketplaces, in the chain. Hence, it should be the top priority to track these platforms and shut them down as quickly as possible. Many people go to the dark web to buy things they can’t find elsewhere, but what if what you’re buying is also trying to harm you? Scammers on darknet markets claim to offer legit tools or services, but instead provide you with malicious software that can infect your device.
Why Monero Over Bitcoin?
If you want to buy something, deposit cryptocurrency in your wallet, and you will be charged directly. However, the website has some security risks, and users experience glitches. However, in April 2022, this site went offline after American and German federal government law enforcement agencies seized the website servers. Some alternative links are available, providing access to the marketplace. It’s recommended not to use new alternative links as they could just be planned exit scams.
Dark Web Links – Darknet Markets Darknet Market Links In 2025
Kraken DNM, which claims to be the successor to Hydra Market, received $737 million in cryptocurrency transactions in 2024. Blockchain data from BitInfoCharts reveals that monero transactions have plummeted by 50% over the past year, highlighting the impact of reduced availability. The Monero site lists two directories which in total contain over 1,000 vendors where XMR is accepted. Some of the primary vendor types include those offering VPNs, cloud storage and web hosting, but other vendor types include gambling and cryptocurrency-themed merchandise. “By just providing a very basic level of privacy protection to everyone, it means that you can, in practice, treat Monero as fungible, which helps with commerce,” he said.
