Bitcoin Darknet Giant Abacus Vanishes
The post Bitcoin Darknet Giant Abacus Vanishes appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. 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. According to blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs, Abacus Market went offline in early July 2025, and took down its clearnet mirror and all related infrastructure without warning. Abacus Market’s Mysterious Disappearance During its four years of operation, Abacus handled nearly $100 million in Bitcoin-based sales. However, the platform was hit by several user complaints in late June about stalled withdrawals. TRM Labs said that this is a classic red flag in the darknet ecosystem, which often precedes an exit scam. The marketplace’s administrator, known as “Vito,” attributed these withdrawal issues to an influx of new users following Archetyp Market’s seizure by law enforcement and ongoing DDoS attacks. Despite these assurances on dark web forums, many users remained skeptical. This was reflected in a sharp decline in deposits from an average of $230,000 daily across 1,400 transactions in early June to just $13,000 daily across 100 deposits by early July. Launched in 2021 and initially known as Alphabet Market, Abacus rebranded and steadily rose in prominence. While it catered to a global audience, it particularly focused on the Australian market with tailored moderators and cultural messaging. Unlike competitors, Abacus operated with a centralized deposit wallet and multisignature capabilities while supporting Bitcoin and Monero. Its market share grew rapidly following the closures of other major darknet markets, and climbed from 10% in 2022 to over 70% by 2024. For instance, the closure of Archetyp in June 2025 drove even more traffic to Abacus, with its monthly sales volume spiking to $6.3 million. This surge may have inadvertently sealed its fate. TRM Labs explained that the sudden disappearance of Abacus was likely an intentional exit by its operators,…
The post Bitcoin Darknet Giant Abacus Vanishes appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.
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. According to blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs, Abacus Market went offline in early July 2025, and took down its clearnet mirror and all related infrastructure without warning. Abacus Market’s Mysterious Disappearance During its four years of operation, Abacus handled nearly $100 million in Bitcoin-based sales. However, the platform was hit by several user complaints in late June about stalled withdrawals. TRM Labs said that this is a classic red flag in the darknet ecosystem, which often precedes an exit scam. The marketplace’s administrator, known as “Vito,” attributed these withdrawal issues to an influx of new users following Archetyp Market’s seizure by law enforcement and ongoing DDoS attacks. Despite these assurances on dark web forums, many users remained skeptical. This was reflected in a sharp decline in deposits from an average of $230,000 daily across 1,400 transactions in early June to just $13,000 daily across 100 deposits by early July. Launched in 2021 and initially known as Alphabet Market, Abacus rebranded and steadily rose in prominence. While it catered to a global audience, it particularly focused on the Australian market with tailored moderators and cultural messaging. Unlike competitors, Abacus operated with a centralized deposit wallet and multisignature capabilities while supporting Bitcoin and Monero. Its market share grew rapidly following the closures of other major darknet markets, and climbed from 10% in 2022 to over 70% by 2024. For instance, the closure of Archetyp in June 2025 drove even more traffic to Abacus, with its monthly sales volume spiking to $6.3 million. This surge may have inadvertently sealed its fate. TRM Labs explained that the sudden disappearance of Abacus was likely an intentional exit by its operators,…
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