The rise of the internet has brought many changes in our lives. It has revolutionized the way we communicate, do business, and even shop. The world of e-commerce has grown tremendously, and along with it, the need for online marketplaces. While there are many legitimate online marketplaces, there is also a hidden side of the internet, the darknet markets.
Example market: Archetyp – Click here.
Darknet markets are online marketplaces that are not accessible through traditional search engines or browsers. These markets are only accessible through a special network called TOR (The Onion Router), which provides anonymity to its users. TOR is a free and open-source software that allows users to browse the internet without revealing their identity or location. It uses multiple layers of encryption to hide the user’s IP address and location, making it difficult to trace their activities.
Here are more examples, and actually a long list of many darknet sites not only markets. The biggest growing markets here aer Royal Market, Tor2Door, Archetyp, Incognito, Bohemia, Abacus Market and more. Here is a link to the web.
The darknet markets are known for their illegal activities, such as the sale of drugs, weapons, and stolen goods. These markets use cryptocurrency like Bitcoin and Monero as their primary payment method, as they offer anonymity to both the buyer and the seller. Bitcoin and Monero are decentralized digital currencies that allow users to send and receive payments without the need for a third party.
The use of cryptocurrency in darknet markets has made it difficult for law enforcement agencies to track down the people behind these activities. Transactions on the blockchain, which is the underlying technology behind Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, are recorded in a public ledger. However, the identity of the people behind these transactions is not revealed. This has made it difficult for authorities to track down the individuals involved in these activities.
The darknet markets have evolved over the years, and new marketplaces keep popping up, even after the authorities take down the existing ones. The sellers on these marketplaces use various methods to ship their products, such as hiding them in plain sight, using fake addresses, or using couriers. The buyers, on the other hand, use various other methods to stay anonymous.