Abacus Market, once the largest Bitcoin-enabled Western DNM, has abruptly disappeared, leaving its vendors and buyers in limbo amid suspicions of a large-scale exit scam. New vendors must pay a $1,500 bond (waived for established vendors from other markets). In October 2021 alphabay market relaunched and alphabet market rebranded to Abacus market to avoid confusion.Abacus market the complete marketplace solution is coded 100% from scratch and offers escrow and multisig payments in Bitcoin or Monero.vendor bonds are waived for vendors with more than 100 sales and a minimum of 75% positive feedback. As investigators and community members sift through the wreckage, Abacus joins the growing list of darknet markets that have collapsed, either through law enforcement takedowns or good old-fashioned greed. 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. TRM Labs noted that such enforcement crackdowns historically destabilize the darknet market landscape, with displaced users flocking to the next prominent marketplace.
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While China-based vendors are frequently referenced as the source of precursors for dangerous synthetic drugs, their involvement in machinery sales is also an important aspect of the drug supply chain. Some countries have just one or a few vendors with a loyal customer base and a wider selection of goods. This increase may be due in part to the closures of top DNMs, the shift to the exclusive acceptance of XMR by other active markets, and delistings of XMR by popular centralized exchanges.
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TRM Labs said the closure could be the result of attention from law enforcement, as Abacus Market clocked a monthly record after the closure of Archetyp Market, one of the longest-running dark web marketplaces, in mid-June. The disappearance has led TRM to believe the “operators have likely conducted an exit scam, shutting down operations and disappearing with users’ funds.” Abacus commanded around 70% of the market share across all Bitcoin-enabled Western darknet marketplaces in 2024.
How The Likely Exit Scam Unfolded
It’s been a constant back-and-forth between cybercriminals and law enforcement, with each new site trying to be smarter and more secure than the last. Dark Web Marketplaces continue to thrive as central hubs for these illicit transactions. Despite growing crackdowns from law enforcement agencies, the dark web remains a hotbed of criminal activity, offering everything from drugs to stolen data.
- Transactions there are made with cryptocurrencies to keep everything as secret as possible.Want to explore more about how to enter safely?
- This market offers a variety of goods and services, including drugs, weapons, counterfeit documents, and other illegal goods.
- In Arizona, lawmakers passed a Bitcoin reserve law, enabling seized crypto to be held as public reserves.
- Abacus Market, the largest Bitcoin-powered Western darknet marketplace, has gone offline in an apparent exit scam.
- WeTheNorth is a Canadian market established in 2021 that also serves international users.
TRM Labs analysts suggested that law enforcement agencies might be conducting a covert operation to gather evidence. The site administrator, known as Vito, attributed these problems to DDoS attacks, but users remained skeptical as daily deposits plummeted from $230,000 to $13,000 within two weeks. Many users migrated to Abacus, causing the site’s monthly sales volume to jump to $6.3 million.
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The platform’s administrator, known by the alias “Vito,” attributed the problems to a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack and a surge in new registrations following Archetyp Market’s collapse. In the weeks leading up to its disappearance, Abacus users began encountering withdrawal delays and other operational issues. The darknet environment constantly evolves, requiring continuous education on emerging threats and updated countermeasures. Disputes on Abacus darknet should be handled through official escrow systems—never finalize early without product receipt. Always encrypt sensitive data with PGP on Abacus market and store offline in secure containers while maintaining plausible deniability. Never discuss orders outside encrypted channels Abacus market.
How Do I Get Access To The Abacus Market?
The leading darknet marketplace for secure, anonymous transactions since 2021. Join over 45,000 daily users on the most secure darknet marketplace Established in 2021, it has grown to become the most trusted platform with over 1,200 verified vendors and 45,000 daily active users. Abacus Market launched in Q3 2021, created by a team of cybersecurity veterans who recognized the need for a more secure, reliable darknet marketplace. The platform's meticulous vendor verification process and proactive security measures have virtually eliminated scams, setting a new standard for darknet commerce. Apart from the dark web markets that are operating online today, some raided platforms influenced many markets.
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In 2024, Abacus Market had a market share of around 70% of all Bitcoin-enabled Western darknet trade and was the most popular such service. Following the takedown of Incognito Market in 2024 and the voluntary closure of ASAP Market in 2023, Abacus quickly captured over 70% of the Western darknet market share. While we implement robust security measures, darknet activity always carries risks. All vendors undergo PGP verification and manual review. For comprehensive security guidance, read the Darknet Bible before making any transactions. Visit the trusted markets below or visit the dread-forum to find out more.
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By 2023, it had secured a dominant position, handling 70% of all Western darknet market users. These efforts helped it become one of the most active platforms among Australian users. TRM Labs assesses the event was likely an exit scam, though a covert law enforcement seizure cannot be ruled out. Abacus Market — once the largest Bitcoin-enabled Western darknet marketplace — went offline in early July 2025.
Abacus Market has deployed a critical security update addressing potential vulnerabilities in the escrow system. Latest updates, announcements, and security advisories Our security team actively monitors for vulnerabilities and implements patches immediately. Abacus Market releases critical security updates every 2 weeks. The platform introduced quantum-resistant encryption this year.
- Deposits per day dropped to only $13,000 in July compared to $230,000 at the beginning of June as people lost trust and abandoned the platform.
- In one major operation, U.S. agencies dismantled BidenCash, a platform that sold over 15 million stolen credit cards and credentials, generating more than $17 million since 2022.
- When factoring in Monero, the untraceable cryptocurrency used for most of the platform’s trades, total sales are believed to have exceeded $300 million.
- While not based in Australia, Abacus Market gained strong traction with local darknet users by embracing cultural references, supporting Australian vendors, and featuring a dedicated moderator from the region.
- The marketplace’s sudden disappearance marks a significant turn in the ongoing volatility of darknet ecosystems, where trust, anonymity, and financial stakes collide in unpredictable and often short-lived ventures.
Without vendors, darknet marketplaces cannot operate or generate profits, making them a more strategic enforcement target. TRM Labs assesses that the marketplace’s operators have likely conducted an exit scam, shutting down operations and disappearing with users’ funds. Past administrators of darknet markets who have conducted exit scams have not been prosecuted, and this approach is appealing to operators.
The fall of Abacus Market has left a noticeable void in the Western darknet trade, particularly for Bitcoin-based transactions. In June 2024 alone, Abacus registered a record-breaking $6.3 million in sales, commanding over 70% of the market share in the Bitcoin-supporting Western darknet ecosystem. That takedown triggered a mass migration of vendors and buyers to Abacus, propelling it to the top of the illicit online trade hierarchy. The disappearance of Abacus Market comes on the heels of intensified law enforcement actions targeting darknet operations. Deposits to the marketplace, which averaged around $230,000 daily throughout most of June, plummeted to just $13,000 per day between June 28 and July 10.
When looking at crypto inflows to DNMs in 2024, the data indicate that wholesale drug purchases were dominant, averaging between 71 and 81% of this year’s total market share. Retail vendors appear to be holding a greater portion of their proceeds on-chain than wholesale vendors, while wholesale vendors (those who distribute drugs in large quantities) are making greater use of DeFi. While these outfits are not traditional DNMs, their success highlights how drug vendors are scaling their operations throughout Russian-speaking countries. Abacus Market represents a new era, next generation marketplace. Informer and vxdb, another cybercrime news reporter, both claimed it wasn’t a good look, with Informer speculating that it’s a sign of a “possible exit scam in process.” Despite these claims, deposits to the marketplace began to fall, from around $230,000 a day in June to just $13,000 a day by July.
With over 31,541 active listings and a 4.89 rating from 459 reviews, Abacus Market is a trusted platform. Rebranded from Alphabet Market in October 2021 to distinguish itself from AlphaBay, it offers secure, anonymous transactions using Bitcoin (BTC) and Monero (XMR). While some in the community speculated a potential law enforcement seizure might be behind the vanishing act, no agency has claimed responsibility. Daily deposits dropped from over $230,000 across approximately 1,400 transactions in June to just $13,000 by early July. Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a dangerous tool causing a stir on the dark web and within The platform is available in both English and French, reinforcing its regional focus.
