Largest Western Darknet Marketplace Abacus Market Vanishes with Millions in Suspected Exit Scam

Key takeaway:

• TRM Labs links Abacus Market’s disappearance to law enforcement pressure following Archetyp’s takedown. 
• With no viable successor, vendors and buyers face a liquidity crisis across the Western darknet market.
• The takedown of Qakbot shows international collaboration can dismantle long-standing crypto crime networks. 

In early July, Abacus Market, the largest Bitcoin‑based Western darknet marketplace, abruptly went offline, triggering widespread suspicions of an exit scam. 

TRM Labs reports that both its clearnet mirror and hidden-service infrastructure became inaccessible, and the site’s operator, known only as “Vito,” vanished along with users’ escrowed funds.

🚨 A significant shake-up in the darknet scene! The major marketplace, Abacus, which held 70% of the market share in Bitcoin-enabled Western platforms in 2024, has reportedly vanished. Is this an exit scam? Stay informed about the shifting landscape of d… https://t.co/L5ZXcodtQV

— CRYPTO PANZER 🚀 (@CryptoPanzerHQ) July 15, 2025

Abacus Exit Scam Follows Takedown of Rival Market

Abacus had recently grown in dominance after Europol’s June takedown of Archetyp Market, handling $6.3 million in monthly sales and controlling over 70% of Bitcoin-enabled Western darknet trade.

Withdrawal issues surfaced in late June. 

The site operator, known only by the alias “Vito,” attributed the site's withdrawal delays to a flood of new users and a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack, an excuse seen in previous exit scams such as Evolution and Nemesis.

This explanation failed to calm the market. 

Daily deposits dropped from $230,000 in early June to $13,000 by July 10. Abacus reportedly processed around $100 million in Bitcoin over a four-year period. 

TRM Labs estimates that total transactions, including Monero, may have reached $300–$400 million. The disappearance appears to be a move for self-preservation, as law enforcement attention increased after Archetyp’s seizure.

Some speculate that authorities may have covertly seized Abacus’s servers, as happened with Nemesis Market.

Abacus experienced rapid growth following the voluntary shutdown of ASAP Market in July 2023, gaining a 20% rise in traffic.

Global Crackdowns Leave Crypto Criminals Few Options        

Darknet marketplaces are facing increased scrutiny from coordinated global enforcement.

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.  

Roughly 145 darknet and clearnet domains linked to BidenCash were shut down. 

The site’s operators charged fees on every transaction and even offered 3.3 million cards for free to lure in new users. The FBI described the takedown as a significant step in disrupting financial cybercrime operations.

The infamous CC and access market "BidenCash" apparently had its domain seized by Law Enforcement in the past hours, the store is allegedly down.

Clearnet domain "/bidencash.asia" and onion (which now redirects to "/bidencash.usssdomainseizure.com") displays a seizure banner. pic.twitter.com/sjZnUv82NZ

— Who said what? (@g0njxa) June 4, 2025

In another significant operation, the FBI and Department of Justice dismantled the Qakbot malware network, active since 2008. 

Linked to ransomware groups like REvil and Conti, Qakbot relied on phishing “spam bomb” campaigns and infected hundreds of thousands of devices. Over $24 million in Bitcoin and stablecoins was seized from its alleged Russian developer. 

These actions reflect broad collaboration involving Europol, the Dutch Police, the U.S. Secret Service, and cybersecurity nonprofits. 

States are also enhancing enforcement tools. 

In Arizona, lawmakers passed a Bitcoin reserve law, enabling seized crypto to be held as public reserves. A related proposal allows converting crypto from criminal cases into state funds.