Abacus offered a wide range of illicit drugs, including stimulants, dissociatives, psychedelics, opioids, benzodiazepines, prescription medication, unlicensed pharmaceuticals, and cannabis-related products. Unlike competitors, such as Archetyp, DrugHub, ASAP Market, and Incognito Market, Abacus operated as a central deposit wallet, multisignature DNM that supported both Bitcoin and Monero. In late June 2025, users began reporting withdrawal issues with Abacus Market, which typically indicates an impending exit scam. The marketplace’s administrator, known as ‘Vito’, responded on darkweb discussion forum Dread, claiming an influx of Archetyp users and a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack were the reasons for the issues. The Australian darknet research is a study that was conducted by the Australian Crime Commission. It also looked at the links between darknet markets and illicit substances, as well as other illegal activities.
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The darknet is part of the deep web, where the majority of online content is hosted. However, unlike other areas of the deep web, darknet markets are e-commerce sites made for trading illicit and illegal goods. The only way to access the darknet market is through darknets, like TOR or I2P.
Darknet Communications In 2025 – From IRC Forums To Telegram Crime Networks
“Australia’s resistance to opening more drug checking facilities stems from an assumption that drug checking ‘green lights’ drug use,” Barratt said. “These takedowns are used to create a sense of general deterrence through announcing arrests and interruptions to markets,” she said. While 65% of samples contained only the advertised substance, the study found 14% of samples had a mixture of the advertised substance with other psychoactive or potentially harmful chemicals. The RMIT-led study analysed 103 illicit drug samples sourced from the now-defunct dark web forum Test4Pay in collaboration with the Australian National University, UNSW Sydney and Canadian testing facility Get Your Drugs Tested. With criminal gangs, there are always points in a relationship where people “prove” themselves.
Following The Money Trail
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the dark web has become increasingly popular for drug supply, as street vendors have been under lockdown. An Australian man stand accused of being the mastermind behind the darknet’s biggest marketplace. Another example of the biggest Australian state with drug problems is Victoria.
Top Dark Web Marketplaces Of 2025: A Deeper Dive Into Illicit Trade Markets
Your donation will make a real difference to our community of researchers and students. Fill out the form to speak with our team about investigative professional services. In total, Abacus Market generated nearly USD 100 million in Bitcoin-enabled sales.
Law enforcement takedowns, such as Archetyp, demonstrate both impact and adversary adaptation. For cybersecurity professionals, focusing on payment methods, vendor migration, and marketplace specialisation offers the most effective path to actionable intelligence. In 2025, darknet marketplaces primarily accept Monero (XMR) and Bitcoin (BTC). 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. Darknet marketplaces remain central to illicit trade in 2025, with evolving business models, payment systems, and law enforcement responses. This survey highlights active and recently shuttered markets with actionable metrics and intelligence for threat hunters, CISOs, and red team leaders.
DrugHub Market
DarkMarket had almost 500,000 users, more than 2400 sellers and more than 320,000 transactions. They are popular with criminals, because buyers and sellers are largely untraceable. Websites are only accessible with specialised identity-cloaking mechanisms, and the sites are often hosted over multiple encrypted servers to avoid further detection. Although using darknets like TOR isn’t illegal in Australia, it can raise suspicion. This can be true even if you want to use it for legal purposes only while remaining anonymous.
Shuttered Dark Web Marketplaces
Remember, a large percent of the Australian population are teens and youths. Considering how tech-savvy most kids are, their access to a darknet market is not surprising. Alright, let’s get into the meat of it—the darknet markets that are ruling 2025. I’ve been poking around these places for a while now, from the giants like Abacus to the old-timers like Vice City. This isn’t just a quick list; it’s the full scoop on what they offer, how they keep things tight, and why they’re worth your time—or not. Whether you’re new to the dark web or a vet who’s seen it all, you’ll find something here to chew on.
Ransomware and cryptocurrency-based crimes saw a significant increase in 2023, with a nearly $176 million rise compared to 2022. Telegram channels supplement traditional onion sites, blurring lines between the dark web sites and more mainstream communication tools. Today’s cybercriminals spread their activities across multiple platforms, making them harder to track and shut down. ANU has a huge variety of support services, programs and activities to enhance your student experience.
This was followed by prescription drugs (20%), ecstasy (16%), psychedelics such as magic mushrooms and LSD (12%), methamphetamine (12%) and cocaine (8%). Opioids such as heroin accounted for only 3% of all transactions undertaken by Australian cryptomarket vendors. Beginning in September 2021, Abacus Market has established itself as one of the leading dark web marketplaces.
- Users must look for platforms employing robust encryption protocols, secure escrow services, and advanced anti-phishing measures.
- I’ve been poking around these places for a while now, from the giants like Abacus to the old-timers like Vice City.
- When one goes down, two more emerge with new ideas, better technology, and greater difficulty to track.
- Below is a discussion on the darknet markets in Australia, their reach, how they work, and more.
- If they eventually get caught there’s nothing stopping their partner taking the art off the wall, selling it and walking away with the money.
In the darknet, nothing is recorded on the PC; there are no log files written of any chat. Darknet means that you cannot see it; it doesn’t mean that dark things happen there. And that means a whole pile of higher level implications for governments and law enforcement. We’re back with another video in our Webz Insider video series on everything web data. Cybersecurity experts should pay close attention to these trends, as they often indicate emerging threats and profit-generating tactics among the cybercriminal forums. Stick to cryptocurrency, avoid downloading anything, and don’t share any personal info.
The site’s slick—vendor stats update live, checkout’s a breeze, and the vibe’s modern without being over-the-top. I’ve used it a handful of times; deliveries landed smooth via DeadDrops—plain packaging, no fuss. It’s not the biggest player like Abacus, but it’s got a loyal crew and uptime that rarely blinks. If you’re into a darknet market that feels cutting-edge and keeps your coins safe, ASAP Darknet Market’s a gem—just don’t expect a massive catalog yet; it’s more about precision than sprawl.
These products are often sold at a discounted price as compared to other markets such as Silk Road or AlphaBay. Darknet marketplaces in 2025 illustrate a resilient and evolving underground economy. Major active platforms include Abacus, Russian Market, BriansClub, and Exodus.
