Russian darknet dominated crypto drug trade in 2024 with $1.65 billion transactions
Blockchain security firm TRM Labs reported that Russian-language darknet marketplaces dominated crypto-linked drug transactions in 2024.
According to the report, the platforms were behind more than 97% of the drug-related crypto activity on the Bitcoin and TRON networks. That translates to around $1.65 billion out of the $1.7 billion traced to drug trade on both blockchains last year.
[Editor’s Note: The total value of the global illegal drug trade is estimated to be over $600 billion, making the crypto portion a small fraction of the total criminal activity.]
Why Russian darknets are thriving
TRM Labs explained that several factors contributed to the continued dominance of Russian darknet marketplaces. These include a diminished threat…
