Largest Bitcoin Darknet Marketplace Abacus Market Vanishes in Suspected Exit Scam

Key Points

1. Abacus Market specialized in illicit drugs and saw record monthly volumes after the closure of Archetyp Market in June.

2. Withdrawal issues blamed on a DDoS attack matched typical exit scam patterns, with sales plummeting from $230,000 to $13,000 in late June.

3. TRM Labs suggests the admins may have conducted an exit scam due to law enforcement pressure or increased scrutiny.

4. Over four years, Abacus generated nearly $100 million in Bitcoin sales, with potential actual volumes reaching $300-400 million due to Monero transactions.

5. US law enforcement seized crypto linked to BidenCash in June, dismantling 145 darknet domains, and over $24 million from a Russian national accused of operating Qakbot malware.