More than six years after the demise of Silk Road, the world’s first major drug cryptomarket, the dark web is still home to a thriving trade in illicit drugs.
These markets host hundreds, or in some cases thousands, of people who sell drugs, commonly referred to as “vendors”. The dark web offers vital anonymity for vendors and buyers, who use cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin to process transactions.
Trade is booming despite disruptions from law enforcement and particularly “exit scams”, in which market admins abruptly close down sites and take all available funds.
Why are these markets still seen as enticing places to sell drugs, despite the risks? To find out, our recent study surveyed 13 darknet drug vendors, via online encrypted interviews.
They gave us a range of reasons.
More Profitable
First, selling drugs online is safer and more profitable than doing it offline:
Interviewer: So you still sell on DNMs [darknet marketplaces], and prefer that to offline. Correct?
Respondent: YES. Selling offline is borderline stupid. You can make so much more money online, the risks [in selling outside cryptomarkets] aren’t even remotely worth it.
Both of these claims correspond with previous research showing that the dark web is perceived to be a safer place to buy and sell ..
Support the originator by clicking the read the rest link below.
