Prosecutors claim DeLuney was in financial distress and had stolen thousands from Gregory in the months leading up to her death to invest in cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin. The platform has not yet confirmed whether user funds will be reimbursed or when full functionality will resume. Arcadia Finance acknowledged the unauthorized transactions and advised users to revoke asset manager permissions. The exchange said that the attack resulted in the theft of 120 BTC, 350 ETH, 1,800 SOL and approximately 8.54 million USDT, along with funds in eight other cryptocurrencies.
Agentic AI-Powered, Intelligence-Driven Unified Cybersecurity Platform
Our affiliate relationships help us maintain an open-access platform, but they do not influence our editorial decisions. Cointelegraph is committed to providing independent, high-quality journalism across the crypto, blockchain, AI, and fintech industries. TRM Labs speculates the Abacus operators could have also “lost motivation to continue” or chose to exit the ecosystem to “preserve their freedom and financial gains.”
This sharp decline in activity mirrored warning signs observed in previous darknet market exit scams, where operators initially downplay technical difficulties before vanishing altogether. Exit scams occur when markets suddenly disappear with user funds; watch for warning signs like withdrawal delays with Abacus darknet or admin silence. Unlike some emerging markets that focused exclusively on Monero (XMR), a privacy-centric cryptocurrency, Abacus supported transactions in both Monero and Bitcoin. Although some of these markets prohibit certain extreme content such as violence or exploitation, most operate with very few rules beyond ensuring the security and anonymity of their users. Some of the best-known names include Abacus Market, Russian Market, and BriansClub, all with thousands of illegal items available.Despite closures by authorities or the typical “exit scams” (when a marketplace disappears with all the money), these sites continue to pop up. However, this figure likely underestimates the true volume, as the marketplace also heavily supported Monero (XMR), a privacy-focused cryptocurrency that accounts for at least two-thirds of all transactions on Abacus due to its enhanced anonymity features.
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Launched 2021 Featuring bitcoin, Escrow, XMR, FE and Multisig. 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.
How To Buy BTC Or XMR Anonymously?
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 decline of the platform started when another large darknet marketplace, Archetyp was closed by European law enforcement in mid-June. Historically, darknet administrators who exit at the height of their market’s popularity, whether through exit scams like Evolution Market or voluntary closures like Agora Market, have largely evaded law enforcement capture. Abacus Launched in late 2021, Abacus Market has established itself as the premier darknet marketplace, succeeding legendary platforms like AlphaBay and Dream Market.
- Only 23% of vendor applications are approved, resulting in the most trustworthy vendor base in the darknet ecosystem.
- It was a platform that supported both Bitcoin and privacy-oriented Monero cryptocurrency, and Monero transactions added a substantial amount of extra volume.
- Between June 1 and June 27, 2025 average daily deposits to Abacus were USD 230,000 across 1,400 transactions.
- Another theory is that administrators may have voluntarily left the market due to increased regulatory scrutiny.
- Vortex is one of those markets that aims to stand out by being user-friendly, secure, and anonymous.
- Throughout 2024, DNM vendors also sent far more value to personal wallets and stored funds on-chain.
Bitzuma is not a registered investment advisor and does not endorse or recommend the purchase or sale of any cryptocurrency, token, or digital asset. Users once believed vendor reviews, escrow, and uptime were enough to keep operations honest. Investigators are currently monitoring secondary wallet movements, but so far, the funds remain unrecovered.
Shifting Dynamics In The Darknet Economy
Roughly 145 darknet and clearnet domains linked to BidenCash were shut down. 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. The disappearance appears to be a move for self-preservation, as law enforcement attention increased after Archetyp’s seizure. TRM Labs estimates that total transactions, including Monero, may have reached $300–$400 million. This explanation failed to calm the market.
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Suppliers and buyers communicate directly, something that is not so common in other markets.Thanks to its real-time inventory updates and highly specific search options, STYX has become a real alternative to traditional large markets. It is entirely focused on financial cybercrime and offers much more than just stolen cards or basic logins.Here you will find malware logs, remote access (RDP), brute force accounts, complete identity packages, and access to financial platforms. All of this has made it one of the most reliable markets still active in 2025. With the closure of giants such as AlphaBay, many sellers and buyers migrated to Abacus in search of a new home, and boy did they find it.This marketplace has over 40,000 listings, offering everything from illegal drugs, fake documents, stolen credit cards, and fake IDs to phishing kits and hacking tools.
User Security Features
In early July, 2025, Abacus Market, the largest Bitcoin-enabled Western darknet marketplace (DNM), went offline, rendering all internet-facing infrastructure, including its clearnet mirror, inaccessible. TRM Labs reports that the market had enabled transactions of nearly $100 million worth of Bitcoin but the figure does not include Monero (XMR) cryptocurrency, which requires special conditions to track and accounts for at least two-thirds of all transactions on Abacus. Abacus launched in September 2021 as ‘Alphabet Market,’ and gradually increased its popularity, especially as the number of other markets on the dark web dwindled, mostly as a result of law enforcement actions. Blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs reports that Abacus shutting down so abruptly has all the indications of either an exit scam or a covert law enforcement operation dismantling the activity.
Overview, Main Features, And URL
Abacus Market instability requires keeping minimal balances in deposit wallets; withdraw funds promptly after transactions are completed. Phishing sites mimic legitimate markets to steal login details—always check Abacus onion URL authenticity and SSL certificates before entering credentials. Law enforcement monitors darknet activities through blockchain analysis and compromised vendor accounts.
In 2022, it ranked as the fourth largest Bitcoin-supporting Western DNM with 10% of market share, rising to 17% in 2023. Since its inception, Abacus Market has gradually increased its market share in the Western DNM ecosystem. Although it served a global audience, it particularly focused on the Australian market, incorporating Australian cultural references into its marketing and recruiting an Australia-dedicated moderator. Between June 1 and June 27, 2025 average daily deposits to Abacus were USD 230,000 across 1,400 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. The sudden shutdown has left users locked out of their accounts and unable to recover funds, prompting fears that operators may have deliberately shuttered operations and disappeared with customer assets. According to blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs, both the darknet platform and its clearnet mirror became inaccessible in early July 2024.
