Dark Web Marketplaces

Silk Road 

One of the first and most infamous dark web markets, Silk Road was founded by Ross Ulbricht (alias “Dread Pirate Roberts”). It primarily facilitated the sale of drugs but also hosted listings for hacking services, fake documents, and more. The site was shut down by the FBI in 2013, and Ulbricht was sentenced to life in prison.

Agora

Successor to Silk Road, Agora was known for its security measures and wide range of illegal goods. It voluntarily shut down in 2015, citing concerns about vulnerabilities in the Tor network.

AlphaBay

Once the largest dark web marketplace, AlphaBay offered drugs, weapons, stolen data, and hacking tools. The U.S. Department of Justice seized it in 2017, and its administrator, Alexandre Cazes, was arrested and later found dead in his prison cell.

Hansa

A market that became notorious after law enforcement secretly took control of it. After AlphaBay’s takedown, users flocked to Hansa, unaware that it was under police control. This allowed authorities to track transactions and arrest users.

Dream Market

A long-running marketplace that eventually shut down in 2019 under unclear circumstances, possibly due to law enforcement pressure or an exit scam.

Atlantis

A short-lived market that tried to differentiate itself with a slick interface and promotional videos but disappeared after just a few months.

Black Market Reloaded

One of the first successors to Silk Road, this site shut down due to security concerns and administrator paranoia.

Sheep Marketplace

Infamous for an exit scam in which its operators stole millions of dollars worth of Bitcoin from users before disappearing.

The Farmer’s Market

Operated as an early version of an online drug market, even before Silk Road, using encrypted emails instead of Tor. It was eventually dismantled by law enforcement.

TheRealDeal

A marketplace primarily focused on hacking tools, exploits, and stolen databases. It disappeared after a short time.

Utopia

A dark web marketplace that vanished quickly, possibly an exit scam or law enforcement operation.

Hydra Market

A Russian-language dark web market that became one of the largest drug-selling platforms before being seized by German authorities in 2022.

White House Market

One of the more recent marketplaces, it was known for strict security policies and only accepted Monero (XMR) cryptocurrency for transactions. It shut down voluntarily in 2021.