The dark web scene is gaining prominence each and every day. And as new markets emerge on the platform, a few others also cease operations. There are some renowned markets that went down but because of one or two reasons, you may not be aware. We therefore decided to look at some top markets that once operated on the dark web but are dead and no longer active. This is for your own good. Because believe me you, there are still phishing links out there directing you to some of these markets which in real sense had ceased operations. So check out our list of dead dark web marketplaces and stay informed.
The Versus Market
Mid this year, Versus Market was hacked for the third time. And the previous incidents haven’t been so severe and the market always made a comeback. So when news spread that Versus had been hacked, people thought it would be back on its feet. Well, this didn’t happen because a few weeks after the incident, the administration decided to close Versus Market. Analysts believe it was hit at the core, and that it would have been senseless to continue with operations. The administrators on a post on Dread said they had resolved to take down the market.
They didn’t give further information about the hack. But one thing remains, a legend rested. At the time of the closure, Versus Market was one of the biggest, if not the biggest marketplace on the dark web. Versus had the highest number of listings and dealt with a wide variety of goods and services. Vendors and customers were available from all over the world. But the United States had the highest number. Versus also features one of the most advanced operating systems on the scene. So it was without doubt a bigger market. I’m sure it’s going to be in history as one of the largest markets to ever operate on the dark web. It might not have been as big as its predecessors like Silk Road, but at least it has a place in darknet history.
It was actually one of the longest running markets. Most markets usually operate in less than two years then shut down. Versus is one of the few that beat this record. It has operated for over three years. So whenever you come across any link directing you to ‘Versus Market’, avoid it as much as you can. Versus is no more!
CannaHome Dark Web Marketplace
Another top market that closed at a time people were least expecting is CannaHome Market. In April this year, CannaHome Market administration decided to close it. Under the post titled “Important Announcement”, vendors and buyers couldn’t believe the message therein. The admin further explained how they had successfully operated one of the biggest platforms on the darknet. So it was time to take a rest. They came to this conclusion after feeling that the market had reached its goals. And that it was time to give way to other smaller markets.
CannaHome was the CGMC followup market that allowed only the sale of Cannabis and some mushrooms products. It was the top leading market in the world in where to buy weed. CannaHome Market closed after being in operation for over two and a half years. It was therefore one of the biggest and the longest serving markets at the time. It had buyers and vendors from all over the world who were interested in it’s major commodity. Weed.
White House Market (WHM)
Who doesn’t know White House Market? It ruled the streets for quite some time. So every dark web user knows a thing or two about this legend. There was a rumble in the dark web scene on October 1st, 2021 when the White House Marketplace formally declared its retirement. Most people, especially its users, couldn’t believe this. But the “we are retiring!” mesage was so real that you had to just accept it. This marked the end of the Market’s two year dominance as a top player of the dark web.
The White House Dark Web Marketplace, was launched in February 2019, just a few months before Wall Street exited the game. And by Sep 2020, it became the biggest marketplace on the Dark Web after the Empire market’s exit. In Feb 2021, it boasted half a million registered members. The operators made more than $100,000 per day in commission from sales. The market’s faster growth is mainly attributed to its robust security feature. It helped the market fit in the gap created in mid-2019 and 2020. The void which emerged after the Empire Market shut down. Also, the Dream Market exit scam created a gap in the market. Furthermore, they gained from the Valhalla and the Wall Street Market takedown. The White House Market advertised a wealth of products. Still, it was mainly known for its narcotics section.
ToRReZ Dark Web Marketplace
Two months after White House Market’s retirement, darknet users were yet again met with news of the sudden closure of ToRReZ. Then second largest market by the total number of listings, ToRReZ announced they will be shutting down. The market had operated for close to two years before deciding to end operations under unclear circumstances. Purchases as well as a few other essential market functions were officially disabled on December 16th 2021.
ToRReZ Market was a very big market at the time of closure and their listing volume was greatly dominated by illicit substances. Nearly two thirds of their listings were in the “Drugs and Chemicals” category. ToRReZ also hosted a large offering of fraud and other cybercrime related listings. ToRReZ hosted 2683 vendors, with 1412 of those active on the market in the last 7 days before the announcement of its closure. And it had about 15% of the total of all then active darknet market listings. So their departure left quite a big gap in darknet markets”.
Dark0de Reborn Market
It was a week of delayed withdrawals and other issues suggesting an exit scam was likely. Then people’s fears were confirmed. Dark0de Reborn Market, one of the biggest and most popular darknet markets to ever exist went offline on Feb 24th 2022 without warning. The market through its management went with user’s funds that had been trapped in escrow along with it. There was no announcement made by the market admins as to what had happened. Or even why the site was no longer available. But activity preceding the closure suggested it was a willful and coordinated effort to scam buyers and vendors. And after several days of patience and waiting, vendors and buyers came to terms with the fact that they had been scammed.
But before the incident, most of Dark0de’s existence was uneventful and smooth for buyers and vendors. Although some users reported running into deposit and withdrawal issues as early as Dec 2021. Dark0de became the fourth major darknet market to go down this year. The other three were Cartel Market, Monopoly Market and CanadaHQ. All three are believed to have been seized by law enforcement.
Hydra Dark Web Marketplace
The closure of Hydra Market was a very big blow to the dark web community. This was arguably one of the biggest and longest serving dark web platforms in existence. Founded in 2015, Hydra Market was arguably the largest Russian-speaking marketplace on the dark web. The marketplace was best known for selling illegal drugs. However, merchants on the platform also offered cryptocurrency laundering services. These include forged documents, stolen credit card numbers, counterfeit money, and illicit digital goods.
The market was taken down as a result of a joint operation between the US authorities and German counterparts. At the time, it had around 17 million customers. And over 19,000 seller accounts which were registered on the marketplace. Its sales amounted to at least 1.23 billion euros ($1.34 billion) in 2020 alone.
But one last thing:
Above, we gave you a list of top six darknet marketplaces which are no longer functional. So it’s upon you to be very vigilant while browsing the dark web. It’s obvious you’ll come across phishing links claiming to be directing you to these markets. But now that you know they no longer exist, stay woke. Also, any information published on this platform is for education purposes. We’re not responsible for whatever happens as a result of the use of our information. Bye!