The dark web marketplaces are mainly defined into two categories. Despite growing crackdowns from law enforcement agencies, the dark web remains a hotbed of criminal activity, offering everything from drugs to stolen data. Launched in 2021 as Alphabet Market before rebranding to Abacus later that year, the platform gained popularity by targeting Australian users and supporting transactions in both Bitcoin (BTC) and Monero (XMR). No law enforcement seizure banners have appeared, fuelling suspicions that the platform’s operators simply vanished with user funds. Yet, several marketplaces managed to retire gracefully over the past few months.
How The Likely Exit Scam Unfolded
You won't find drugs here, but you will find tons of credentials, RDP access, CVVs, and records stolen using malware.The platform works with data collected by well-known malware such as Lumma, RedLine, Raccoon, Vidar, and Aurora. Some of the best-known names include Abacus Market, Russian Market, and BriansClub, all with thousands of illegal items available.Despite closures by authorities or the typical “exit scams” (when a marketplace disappears with all the money), these sites continue to pop up. Although the administrator of the site, known as “Vitro,” blamed the issues on a DDoS attack, and an influx of users from another marketplace known as Archetyp, Abacus users remained skeptical. This is a common precursor to an exit scam, which takes place when the administrator of a site shuts it down without warning – taking the funds of all users with them. The Western world’s highest-grossing dark web marketplace went offline earlier this month in a likely exit scam, according to industry experts.
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Whatever the cause, users quickly move on. The marketplace let customers pay in Bitcoin or Monero, unlike rivals DrugHub, ASAP Market and Incognito Market. The marketplace’s catalog covered stimulants, opioids, psychedelics, prescription pills, benzodiazepines, unlicensed medicines and cannabis products. Though it was open for users worldwide, it worked hard to attract Australian buyers, even hiring a local moderator and sprinkling Australian slang through its site text. This shows that users were growing increasingly suspicious of the site.
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Additionally, Dread forum administrators – who have close ties to Abacus – have cast doubt on the law enforcement theory. A covert law enforcement seizure hasn’t been ruled out either. This often places the new market under intense scrutiny.
Abacus Market News
For cybersecurity professionals, focusing on payment methods, vendor migration, and marketplace specialisation offers the most effective path to actionable intelligence. Darknet marketplaces in 2025 illustrate a resilient and evolving underground economy. Focusing intelligence collection on specialised marketplaces yields better ROI for threat detection and proactive defence. BidenCash and other exit-scam markets such as Torzon and Kingdom Market collapsed between 2022 and 2024. After Hydra Market’s 2022 closure, new Russian-language darknet markets emerged and have managed to capture over 97% of global darknet drug revenues by 2024. TRM Labs also noted that despite major darknet platforms shutting down, the ecosystem continues to adapt quickly.
Arcadia Finance has suffered an exploit resulting in losses of approximately $3.5 million, said blockchain security firm CertiK. The platform expects to restore deposit and trading services within hours. Blockchain security firm SlowMist attributed the breach to a supply chain attack. The exchange said that the attack resulted in the theft of 120 BTC, 350 ETH, 1,800 SOL and approximately 8.54 million USDT, along with funds in eight other cryptocurrencies. About $10.5 million in FRAX was sent back to GMX, followed by around $30 million in multiple batches, said security firm PeckShield. The hacker who stole more than $40 million from decentralized exchange GMX earlier this week started returning the stolen funds, after appearing to accept GMX's $5 million white-hat bug bounty.
“Marketplaces that reach the top of the ecosystem, in terms of volume, user base, listings, and reputation, often become priority targets for law enforcement,” TRM Labs said. Its share of the Bitcoin-supporting Western dark market ecosystem also spiked to over 70%, following ASAP’s closure and the law enforcement seizure of Incognito Market in March 2024. In late June, users began reporting withdrawal issues, which prompted the Abacus administrator known by the handle “Vito” to assure users that the problems were merely a result of an influx of new people and a distributed denial-of-service attack. Such companies’ tools enable investigators to trace administrator wallets and follow illicit flows even after a marketplace goes offline.
Verified Mirror Links
However, if the access to the information about these substances is restricted or requires extensive research, making the right decision becomes challenging and even impossible. Naturally, the darknet is no place for a noob. But don’t worry about your safety in this respect, the platform was built from scratch (at least, according to its admins). The platform was initially launched as AlphaBet in early 2020, but the admins decided to change its name to Abacus in September 2021 to avoid being confused with the recently rebooted AlphaBay. It is already not a small market, but it strives to soon expand and evolve.
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Analysts note that while a covert takedown remains a possibility, the signs overwhelmingly point to an exit strategy. According to blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs, Abacus’ web infrastructure—including its clearnet mirrors—became inaccessible in early July. BitDegree.org does not endorse or suggest you to buy, sell or hold any kind of cryptocurrency. We strive to present all the information & pricing as accurately as possible, but we cannot ensure that the data is always up to date.
The platform introduced quantum-resistant encryption this year. Starting with just 23 vendors, the platform quickly gained traction. Secure access to Abacus Market through verified onion links and mirrors. The Abacus Darknet platform allows you to rapidly top off your wallet or withdraw money with minimal fees and no waiting period. Save a brief connection to the Abacus Darknet so you may access it and start buying straight away using a VPN and your phone.
Some fake sellers take your crypto and never ship what you ordered, or phishing sites that look like real marketplaces but steal your login info. One of the most common is the exit scam, where a marketplace suddenly disappears and takes everyone’s money with it. Ransomware and cryptocurrency-based crimes saw a significant increase in 2025, with $2.17 billion stolen from crypto platforms, surpassing the total for all of 2024. With the specific environment of the darknet markets in mind, privacy and security are not something you should treat lightly.
Operations Security
It rebranded later that year and gained traction by targeting the Australian market and offering both Bitcoin (BTC) and Monero (XMR) for transactions. TRM Labs reported on July 14 that the platform’s web infrastructure, including its clearnet mirror, became unreachable in early July. Trading, buying or selling cryptocurrencies should be considered a high-risk investment and every reader is advised to do their own research before making any decisions. Users are left empty-handed, and another major darknet chapter ends… in silence.
With the closure of giants such as AlphaBay, many sellers and buyers migrated to Abacus in search of a new home, and boy did they find it.This marketplace has over 40,000 listings, offering everything from illegal drugs, fake documents, stolen credit cards, and fake IDs to phishing kits and hacking tools. Check out our article on the 10 best browsers for surfing the dark web and find out which one is the safest, fastest, and most reliable for maintaining your privacy.These markets have come a long way since the days of Silk Road and AlphaBay, which were the first major pioneers of anonymous commerce on the darknet. “Arresting vendors often has a greater disruptive impact than taking down DNMs dark net marketplaces.
The unfolding of the suspected exit scam began with user complaints about delayed withdrawals. However, this figure likely underestimates the true volume, as the marketplace also heavily supported Monero (XMR), a privacy-focused cryptocurrency that accounts for at least two-thirds of all transactions on Abacus due to its enhanced anonymity features. While law enforcement operations can sometimes result in “silent” takedowns, the lack of any official seizure banner or announcement from authorities makes an exit scam the more probable explanation. Blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs, which has been monitoring the darknet ecosystem, highlights that the sudden cessation of Abacus’s public infrastructure bears all the hallmarks of an exit scam. TheNewsCrypto is an online media publication that helps to educate readers about crypto news, exchanges, and markets in the crypto and blockchain industry.
- Payment flexibility comes through Bitcoin and Monero support, complemented by an intuitive user interface and continuous security monitoring.
- The market emphasizes anonymity and security, conducting transactions exclusively through cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Monero.
- The active bearish wind within the crypto market has triggered most of the assets down, losing momentum.
- The platform was initially launched as AlphaBet in early 2020, but the admins decided to change its name to Abacus in September 2021 to avoid being confused with the recently rebooted AlphaBay.
- Users have been left without access to their funds or orders, while security researchers and darknet watchdogs raise red flags over the timing and behavior of the shutdown.
With constant updates and new providers entering the market, Exodus is positioning itself as a major player in the digital underworld of credential theft. To access all its features, you need to make a minimum deposit of between $40 and $100.Among its tools are a BIN checker (for verifying cards) and a cookie converter, ideal for those looking to move quickly. 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.
The unexpected nature of Abacus’s disappearance, coupled with prior reports of withdrawal difficulties, strongly points towards this fraudulent scheme, leaving countless users and vendors with potentially lost funds. The active bearish wind within the crypto market has triggered most of the assets down, losing momentum. After making his first crypto investment in 2021, Shubham combines practical market experience with deep technical knowledge to provide insightful analysis and commentary. Nevertheless, the police could have clandestinely taken Abacus as they constructed cases against users and operators, but this is not confirmed. The arrest of Archetyp Market and the increasing number of users raised the profile of Abacus, which was an ideal target of the authorities. It was a platform that supported both Bitcoin and privacy-oriented Monero cryptocurrency, and Monero transactions added a substantial amount of extra volume.
As platforms vanish or are taken down, vendors and buyers are shifting towards encrypted communication channels and smaller, low-effort marketplaces to continue operations. It is also recognized for hosting underground black markets(darknet markets), whistleblowing platforms, and discussion boards that champion freedom of speech. Past administrators of darknet markets who have conducted exit scams have not been prosecuted, and this approach is appealing to operators. The decline of the platform started when another large darknet marketplace, Archetyp was closed by European law enforcement in mid-June. If the marketplace does prove to be an exit scam, it would mark another high-profile collapse in the darknet ecosystem, further damaging trust among buyers and sellers. The withdrawal problems, lack of communication and abrupt closure bear all the hallmarks of an exit scam, a common strategy in darknet operations where platform owners vanish with user deposits.
