While most of us browse websites with a few clicks, there’s an entire hidden ecosystem where anonymity reigns and commerce thrives, often illegally. One of the most notorious Dark Web incidents occurred in October 2013, when the FBI shut down Silk Road, the then-largest Dark Web marketplace. Founded by Ross William Ulbricht in 2011, Silk Road quickly established itself as the go-to destination for illegal items, particularly illegal drugs. When the FBI arrested Ulbricht in 2013 for money laundering and drug trafficking, among other offenses, the criminal complaint revealed the marketplace had generated over $1.2 billion in just two years.
Darknet Resources
We expect to see the number of attacks through contractors leading to data breaches at major end targets to continue to grow in 2025. Cloud platforms and IT services often store and process corporate data from multiple organizations, so a breach at just one company can open the door to many others. It is worth noting that a breach does not necessarily have to affect critical assets to be destructive. Not every data breach advertisement on the dark web is the result of a genuinely serious incident. By creating hype around what is actually old – and probably irrelevant – data, cybercriminals can provoke publicity, generate buzz, and damage the reputation of both the supplier and its customers.
Cyble Strato Cloud Security
We may also see collaborations between state-sponsored gangs, pooling resources for more devastating attacks. However, rivalries over dark web marketplaces could also lead to turf wars, disrupting their operations and creating new risks for businesses. Its look, design, options, and interface are exactly the exact copy of its competitor, but everything else, including buyers, vendors, and servers, is different. At its launch, the platform accepted payments through Litecoin, but now it has incorporated support for other payment methods like Monero and Bitcoin.
Kaspersky’s Advanced Targeted Threat Predictions For 2021
From the proliferation of decentralized marketplaces to the growing sophistication of social engineering techniques, the dark web has become a dynamic environment requiring constant vigilance. Dark web surveillance involves monitoring information on the darknet, such as to identify compromised credentials being sold, or to track forums to anticipate (and prevent) cyberattacks. While it has legitimate uses, it’s also a hub for cybercriminals, hackers, and other threat actors.
Why Monero Over Bitcoin?
As cyberattacks and data breaches intensify in 2025, the volume of exposed credentials indexed on the dark web has reached unprecedented levels. The deep web is a part of the internet that isn’t indexed by search engines, like your email accounts or online banking. On the other hand, the dark web is a small subnet of the deep web that requires special software like Tor to access (it’s where most of the anonymous communication and illicit platforms exist). Understanding how the dark web works can help you protect your digital life (including assets). Read on to explore major dark web statistics, popular dark web marketplaces, the number of users, and much more. We’ve also included tips for keeping your connection and data safe when visiting the dark web.
DrugHub Market
The use of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Monero remains central to the darknet ecosystem, providing anonymity and reducing the risk of financial tracking. Additionally, the rise of decentralized marketplaces minimizes the risk of shutdowns, offering users a more stable environment for trade. 2024 was a significant year in the global high-profile fight against cybercrime. We at Kaspersky also actively contributed to law enforcement efforts to combat cybercrime.
Future-Proofing Your Business: Cybersecurity Predictions For 2025
This early detection allows organizations to identify and respond to threats quickly, reducing the chances of unauthorized access, financial loss, or damage to brand reputation. This platform has rapidly become a key player in the fraud market, trading in PII and SSH credentials while making use of both the clear and dark web. The market is known for its extensive product listings and reputation system that helps buyers evaluate the reliability of vendors. Here’s a look at the top 10 dark web markets currently dominating this underground space. Convert and track crypto rates for darknet marketplace transactions—stay ahead of the game. Essential advice for navigating darknet marketplaces safely and effectively in 2025.
Lumma Stealer: Inside The Malware-As-A-Service Threat
Marketplaces like Abacus Market, STYX Market, and others have evolved into well-structured hubs with user-friendly interfaces, customer review systems, and dispute resolution mechanisms. Their design mirrors legitimate e-commerce platforms, but their operations revolve around illegal products and services. Infostealer threat actors specialize in malware that harvests personal data without consent, such as login credentials, bank accounts, and social security numbers. Their tools often spread through phishing campaigns or compromised software downloads, enabling crimes such as identity theft.
Cybercriminals exploit its anonymity to buy and sell illegal goods and services, ranging from stolen data and hacking tools to illicit drugs and counterfeit documents. This dual nature makes the dark web a unique and often misunderstood part of the internet. Dark web operators use mainstream social media platforms to promote illicit goods. Advertisements for fake passports, stolen credit card dumps, and malware appear in private groups, often disguised with coded language. Once contact is made, vendors transition discussions to secure messaging apps to complete the transaction. These platforms cater to specialized criminal sectors, making them more efficient and organized.
The top performers in darknet marketplaces for 2025, excelling in trade volume, vendor ratings, and market influence. Law enforcement shutdowns are also only one type of disruption that dark web communities face. Last week, one of the dark web’s most prominent drug marketplaces—Archetyp—was shut down in an international, multi-agency law enforcement operation following years of investigations.
Types Of Content Found On The Dark Web
- The fragmentation of darknet markets means that law enforcement agencies can no longer focus their efforts on a few large, easily identifiable targets.
- As of 2025, the total value received by illicit addresses linked to darknet markets saw a notable increase, contrasting the general decline in other forms of crypto crime.
- More of a forum than a traditional vendor market, exploit facilitates cybercriminals’ ability to transact.
- The dark web continues to pose a significant risk to businesses, facilitating cybercriminal activities that exploit sensitive data and security weaknesses.
- In addition to its emphasis on stolen credentials, 2easy Market offers a variety of cybercrime tools, such as hacking services, exploit kits, and other resources for conducting cyberattacks.
Markets like Perico represent the next wave — safer for vendors, harder for law enforcement to trace, and accessible only to privacy-savvy users. For cybersecurity professionals, journalists, and policymakers, understanding how these systems evolve is crucial to monitoring and mitigating the impact of underground economies. While some major marketplaces have been taken down in the past, new ones always emerge. Many now rely on decentralized hosting and blockchain-based platforms to evade detection. No, accessing the dark web through Tor or I2P is not illegal in most countries.
Bitcoin continues to lead as the most widely accepted digital currency due to its high liquidity and global acceptance. However, its transparent blockchain has prompted users to shift toward more private alternatives. While Tor and similar browsers provide anonymity, some activity may still be visible to your ISP. Experts recommend using a good VPN to encrypt your whole traffic and have an extra layer of security while surfing the Dark Web. Deep Web stats from 2023’s third quarter reveal that Iranians made up 24.44% of Tor’s bridge users, while people from the United States accounted for 15.08%. Use this guide to learn how to easily automate supply chain risk reports with Chat GPT and news data.
