The post Bitcoin and Tron fuel Russia’s darknet dominance, accounting for 97% of sales: report appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.

Russian-language darknet marketplaces have strengthened their dominance and account for over 97% of cryptocurrency-enabled sales volume. According to a new report by blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs, this is a 1% increase from 2023. The data shows that Bitcoin and Tron remain the cryptocurrencies of choice for these markets. This comes as overall cryptocurrency-enabled online sales of illicit drugs grew by over 19% between 2023 and 2024. Russian darknet marketplaces rely on Bitcoin and Tron The darknet marketplace market in the Russian language has continued to be the leading market for selling illicit drugs. According to the research findings, the market is driven mostly by business on Bitcoin and Tron networks. Although darknet marketplaces globally experienced a myriad of challenges during 2024, the Russian market continued to exhibit vigor and resilience. Based on TRM Labs, a number of reasons have made Russian-language platforms successful. The report identifies the lower threat of action from Russian law enforcement as one of the most important factors enabling these marketplaces to be run with a degree of autonomy. This lower legal pressure has enabled the ecosystem to expand primarily with just four Russian-language darknet marketplaces going offline from about 20 active platforms in 2024. Growth pattern of illicit drug sales on online marketplaces. Source: TRM Labs The Russian markets utilize a dead drop delivery system, which minimizes the direct interface between sellers and buyers. Additionally, their focus on synthetic drugs such as alpha-PVP and mephedrone minimizes vulnerabilities in the supply chain. The report continues to cite the wide availability and low price of drug precursor chemicals normally imported from China as another advantage for these operations. Unlike their Western counterparts, Russian-language marketplaces have been more stable in operations. Even when leaders like Solaris Market closed down during the autumn of 2024, they did so…

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Filed under: News - @ April 1, 2025 1:22 pm