Focusing intelligence collection on specialised marketplaces yields better ROI for threat detection and proactive defence. The Silk Road on the dark web is often described as one of the most infamous online black markets in history. It operated on the hidden corners of the internet, outside of traditional search engines, and accessible only through encrypted software like Tor.
What Are Onion Sites And Dark Web Websites?
The security level is set to ‘Standard’ by default, but you can change it to the ‘safest’ and enjoy more security while accessing the dark web. Despite using a VPN, there’s always a risk of the VPN leaking your IP address through DNS or WebRTC leaks or misconfigurations when on a dark web forum or marketplace. Therefore, you must run an IP leak test to ensure that the VPN is working completely fine and is not risking your digital security. In 2013, the FBI shut down the Silk Road, but it was later relaunched in 2014 with the new name of Silk Road 2.0, but the German authorities shut it down in the same year. Other than the Silk Road 2.0, similar marketplaces also emerged, but they all went down sooner or later. Tor2door Market is among the largest dark net shops you must visit in 2025 if you’ve decided to visit such sites.
Industries That Benefit The Most From Dark Web Monitoring 2025
According to a recent trend, the dark marketplaces faced a decline in revenue. Chainanalysis, a blockchain analysis firm, conducted research that shows that the revenue decreased from $3.1 billion (2021) to $2 billion (2024). If for any reason, you decide to visit these hidden corners of the web, ensure you at least study and understand the common traps. Getting familiar with the tactics scammers use will go a long way in helping you protect your online data and assets. Once many users begin to rely on the site and store funds in escrow, the operators disappear, taking all the money with them and leaving their customers and clients with nothing. 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.
Did The Silk Road Marketplace Go Under?
Unlike surface web platforms, darknet markets have no reliable way to verify vendors. Many “trusted” sellers use fake reviews or steal reputations from shutdown markets. Torrez has been steady since 2020, rocking 4,650+ listings with BTC, LTC, ZCash, and Monero. Wallet-less payments and multi-signature deals make it a safe bet—I’ve never worried about getting burned, even after a close call with a dodgy vendor once.
IBM Security X-Force, for example, reported that 29% of its ransomware engagements in 2020 involved REvil. The criminal groups that developed the malware gets a cut of the affiliates’ earnings, typically between 20% and 30%. The affiliates distribute the ransomware packages through the dark web. These attacks often include stealing victims’ data and threatening to release it on the dark web if the ransom isn’t paid. Ransomware groups are anticipated to split into smaller, independent units, making them harder to track. Such decentralization, along with the reuse of leaked malware source codes, will allow new, low-skilled actors to enter the ransomware ecosystem.
Is The Dark Web Getting Safer Or More Dangerous?
In 2025, only a few markets stand out for their security, reliability, and vendor quality. Abacus Market is one of the newer darknet marketplaces that quickly filled the gap left by AlphaBay’s takedown. It hosts over 40,000 listings and offers everything from illicit goods and substances to hacking tools. With an estimated market value of around $15 million, it has grown into a massive hub for cybercriminal activity. From drug sales and breached data to scam services and malware, dark web markets are some of the most dangerous corners of the internet.
Market Features
- Even though DuckDuckGo is the Tor browser’s default search engine, it doesn’t index dark web websites, which means you won’t be able to find .onion sites with it.
- On the other hand, it’s notorious for enabling illegal activity, including drug sales, weapons trafficking, counterfeit ID trading, hacking services, and the exchange of stolen personal data.
- Therefore, as long as this dark part of the internet exists, these marketplaces will flourish and emerge.
- The MITRE ATT&CK framework provides a comprehensive view of adversary tactics.
- Still, for those willing to put up with the inconvenience, the dark web provides a memorable glimpse at the seamy underbelly of the human experience – without the risk of skulking around in a dark alley.
- Unlike many other dark web markets, Cypher does not require buyers to deposit cryptocurrency upfront, which reduces the risk of exit scams.
Still, the dangers are severe — exposure to scams, malware, surveillance, and prosecution are just the beginning. The darknet in 2025 is a thriving, evolving ecosystem of anonymous marketplaces accessible via Tor. Driven by demand for privacy and illicit goods, these top 10 markets—featuring Alphabay, Archetyp, and more—offer unparalleled variety, security, and resilience despite law enforcement crackdowns. This guide provides verified .onion links, market stats, and expert insights into Tor and Monero usage as of February 21, 2025.
Dangerous Fake Or Malicious Vendors
The markets often share materials related to child exploitation, pornography, and non-consensual recordings, all of which are serious crimes that inflict lasting harm on real-life victims. Such content fuels a dangerous cycle of abuse, violence, and exploitation. It brings in vendor reviews from other places and verifies them using PGP signatures, so buyers can feel a bit more confident about who they’re dealing with. There’s also a premium account option for users who want extra benefits. And when it comes to paying, the site sticks to Bitcoin (BTC) and Monero (XMR) to keep transactions private.
Collaboration between law enforcement and cybersecurity experts, as well as innovations in defense strategies, will be crucial to counter the relentless tactics of cybercriminals. This shift will likely drive forum operators to introduce features like automated escrow services and enhanced anonymity to attract users. As the world navigated an evolving cybersecurity landscape in 2024, trends in malware, ransomware, and dark web activities highlighted the increasing sophistication of cybercriminal tactics.
Ready To Explore Web Data At Scale?
Like ransomware, criminals can buy software and inject your devices with viruses. With it, they can spy on people, steal their sensitive data, or secretly control their devices. These software are also capable of launching DDoS attacks and phishing campaigns. Imagine trusting a site where you’ve been buying or selling for months, and everything seems legit. Some marketplace operators first build trust by running a legitimate platform.
Before these dark web marketplaces were shut down, they sold a range of illegal products, from drugs to firearms. Archetyp launched in May 2020 and quickly grew to become one of the most popular dark web markets with an estimated total transaction volume of €250 million (A$446 million). It had more than 600,000 users worldwide and 17,000 listings consisting mainly of illicit drugs including MDMA, cocaine and methamphetamine. Transactions within dark markets predominantly involve cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Monero, or Ethereum. These digital currencies provide a degree of anonymity, as transactions are recorded on a public ledger but do not directly link users to their real-world identities.
Exodus Marketplace
Any drug marketed as an opiate, be it pressed pills or heroin, may also contain amounts of tranquilizers or fentanyl. While pressed pills are often made with vitamins, it’s impossible to know that the additives are safe. Note that loading sites with TOR usually takes considerably longer than on the clearnet. It may take anywhere from 15 seconds to several minutes for a page to load, depending on network and site demand.
This means that the servers providing these services are only accessible via Tor and do not have a public IP address or domain name. Hidden services can operate while keeping the physical location of the server hidden, which makes tracking and shutting them down considerably more challenging. The website allows visitors to view all the goods and services on display before they buy something.
