As a consequence, policymakers and other stakeholders will be better prepared to respond to the real and destabilizing prospect of heightened arms trafficking in Europe as a result of the conflict in Ukraine. The illicit market for weapons also presents its own subset of challenges. Unlike, say, ‘hard’ drugs such as cocaine and heroin, legislation surrounding weapons can vary from country to country in Europe – some have very strict gun controls, others have established processes to acquire them.
The suspects were identified through coordinated investigations based on intelligence from previous takedowns of several dark web marketplaces, including Nemesis, Tor2Door, Bohemia and Kingdom Markets. There are many Tor browsers available, but it is important to use a reputable one to ensure your privacy and security. Following the seizure and sanctioning of the $5 billion dark web market Hydra in April 2022, numerous rival Russian-speaking markets have been competing for its customers and vendors. Solaris – which emerged as one of Hydra’s biggest successors – processed approximately $150 million in sales of drugs and other illicit goods and services in its short lifespan.
Moscow has repeatedly warned Western countries that arms supplies to Ukraine do not change anything and only prolong the conflict. As Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized, NATO is directly involved in this confrontation not only by sending military assets, but also by training personnel. Darknet is your best source for the latest hacking tools, hacker news, cyber security best practices, ethical hacking & pen-testing. Despite assurances otherwise, there is evidence that the United States and Ukraine do not know where some of the weapons America sends to Ukraine are ending up. A 2024 Department of Defense audit report found the agency failed to properly track $1 billion worth of military equipment sent to Ukraine; the Pentagon’s poor accounting is a known issue that extends far beyond Ukraine. Carlson, for example, did not cite any sources when claiming that Ukraine’s American weapons ended up on the U.S.-Mexico border.
- Killnet and Infinity – a dark forum recently launched by Killnet – have been largely silent about the takeover, instead focusing on an apparent Killnet hack of the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
- Some even have connections to criminal organizations and, in more serious cases, government-backed operations.
- Next up is Abacus, another newer market that has already made a massive name for itself, especially following AlphaBay’s closure.
- A Canadian market established in 2021, WTN offers over 9,000 products, including narcotics, fake goods, and digital services.
- Hundreds of thousands of combatants on both sides will return home – or go elsewhere – and seek new opportunities, and many may take trophy weapons with them.
- Additional layers, such as two-factor authentication (2FA), encrypted PGP messaging, and built-in wallet security, significantly enhance protection against theft and hacking.
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The deep web refers to all online content not indexed by search engines, such as virtual private networks and internal business systems. Social media and gaming platforms are increasingly being used to recruit inexperienced hackers, further expanding these gangs’ reach. For example, Europol has warned the criminals will use coded messages and ‘gamification tactics’ to encourage minors to commit crimes. This spread of Russian propaganda—combined with the transfer of questionably legal weapons and lots of smaller munitions—can be geopolitically destabilizing.
N 2025, dark web websites frequently change domains and are often short-lived. Accessing them may require .onion links and the Tor browser, but caution is advised due to legality and cybersecurity risks. Active for a decade since 2014, it is a widely used credit card shop used to source stolen credit card information such as dumps, CVVs, Wholesale Accounts. Some markets are invite-only or have strict registration rules to keep out scammers and law enforcement.
An appeal by the national police force in March yielded 4,500 firearms, more than 300 shells, about 250 grenades and even a grenade launcher. Since the armed conflict began in April 2014, at least 9,500 people have been killed. A cease-fire agreement signed in 2015 greatly reduced the fighting, but this summer has seen an uptick in casualties. International monitors have accused both sides of violating the cease-fire by using heavy weaponry that was supposed to have been withdrawn. Heorhiy Uchaikin, who heads the Ukrainian association of gun owners, estimated that Ukrainians now illegally possess as many as 5 million firearms. In some authoritarian states, accessing Tor nodes can flag you for surveillance.
Stolen Treasures—And The Lucrative Black Market That Spans The Globe
They pursued tomb robbers, smugglers, dealers, and buyers of looted art in Greece and abroad, with the goal of bringing stolen and illegally trafficked artifacts back into state possession. With the events unfolding across Europe or in the Middle East, the dark web remains an essential component to empower internet freedom for those engulfed in the turmoil. For many in the United States, it merely remains a novelty—a gateway into a shadowy underworld where contraband and taboo reign supreme. It is something we are quick to portray in pop culture with many negative connotations. For those who are enveloped within country conflicts and severely restricted from what they can view or say online, the dark web serves as the only avenue to communicate or see the outside world. Gathering intelligence from its sources is a critical process to understanding social sentiments and developing trends within war-torn regions.
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Discover everything about what a darknet market is, top marketplaces, security threats on them, and learn how to protect your data online. In summary, beyond 2025, dark-web marketplaces will increasingly blend cutting-edge technologies with adaptive strategies to survive in an environment marked by heightened regulatory oversight and shifting user priorities. Users and cybersecurity professionals alike must stay informed and prepared to navigate this rapidly changing digital frontier. Overall, dark-web marketplaces inherently involve substantial risk, and users must thoroughly understand these threats. Anyone considering engaging with these platforms must carefully evaluate potential consequences, exercise stringent security practices, and remain vigilant to minimize exposure to these significant hazards. Understanding these contrasting use-cases underscores the complex role dark-web marketplaces play in contemporary digital society, serving both legitimate needs and presenting significant challenges for security and law enforcement agencies worldwide.
It became the blueprint for other dark web marketplaces that tried to take its place. The site gives out free samples of the stolen data every now and then to gain more customers. With its fast rise to fame and focus on money fraud, it’s no surprise that cybersecurity experts are keeping a very close eye on this one.
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Many people (mostly criminals) use these sites to perform illegal transactions such as selling banned goods and services. Examples include the sale of high-quality products with low risk for contamination (including lacing and cutting), vendor-tested products, sharing of trip reports, and online discussion of harm reduction practices. The Dark Web—a hidden part of the internet accessible only through specialized software like Tor—has become increasingly significant as we enter 2025. Often portrayed as the internet’s shadowy underbelly, the Dark Web hosts marketplaces offering everything from privacy tools and digital currencies to more questionable, or outright illegal, products and services. 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.
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For example, they might need to log in via Freenet or the Tor browser, which uses onion routing to encrypt data via several different nodes. In addition to cluster munitions, Russia has actively been deploying chemical weapons prohibited by international law. According to an official statement by Ukraine’s General Staff on December 27, 2023, Russia had carried out 81 chemical attacks in Ukraine in December 2023 alone.
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Ukrainian officials struggle to track the objects they do see online, as they cannot access Russian websites, even via VPN. We found several sellers on the same marketplace mentioned by Russian state media outlets. They said they were selling Nato weapons, and their geolocation was Kyiv.
Simple mistakes—such as inadequate operational security practices, sharing identifiable details, or using compromised devices—can quickly compromise anonymity and expose users’ real-world identities. Ideal marketplaces support anonymous browsing through networks like Tor and I2P, utilize privacy-focused cryptocurrencies such as Monero, and implement measures to prevent tracking and transaction tracing. Platforms that provide clear guidelines for maintaining operational security (OpSec) and offer built-in tools for data obfuscation are especially favored. In order to monitor potential flows of illicit guns stemming from the conflict in Ukraine, the GI-TOC has created a hybrid methodology that combines quantitative data and qualitative analysis. Over time, this project will build a longitudinal evidence base that can serve as an ‘early warning system’ of emerging trends, routes, hubs and modi operandi.
There is very little evidence that Western weapons being shipped to Ukraine are ending up on the black market, according to a think tank report published on Tuesday. By consistently applying these straightforward security tips, you can significantly mitigate risks and better protect your privacy, finances, and legal standing when interacting with dark-web marketplaces. Dark-web marketplaces often attract attention due to their association with illicit activities; however, these platforms also serve legitimate purposes that align closely with principles of online privacy and freedom of information. Understanding both the lawful and unlawful scenarios helps provide a balanced view of their practical applications in 2025. Overall, dark-web marketplaces in 2025 are more sophisticated, secure, and resilient than ever before, evolving rapidly in response to both technological advancements and intensified scrutiny from global law enforcement agencies.
The dark web itself is not illegal, but it’s largely connected with unscrupulous and illegal operations. It is used by many for buying or selling items that are prohibited on the regular internet, like fake IDs, illegal drugs, and stolen data. In this article, you’ll find detailed overviews of the top ten Dark-Web marketplaces currently dominating the hidden internet landscape in 2025. We’ll explore their unique features, common use-cases—both legitimate and illicit—and the significant risks users face when interacting with these platforms. ASAP is a tech nerd’s playground—accepting BTC, LTC, ZCash, and Monero, it’s got options for days.
