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Versus Market Admin Takes DeSnake Head-on

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It’s barely a month since Versus Market shut down after an alleged hacking incident. At the time of the closure, the market management promised to release a vendor transaction code. This would help customers reclaim their money that had been stuck in Multisig escrow. Well, the market, through its administrator WilliamGibbson has released the code. But not only that. 

Accompanying the code were statements that were seen as indirect attacks to AlphaBay Market admin, DeSnake. You can remember that before the closure, DeSnake was one of the people who informed the dark web fraternity that the market had been hacked. DeSnake further said that he had access to the Versus Market’s full database. The administration didn’t say a word in response to DeSnake’s claims, but they were not going to keep mum forever. 

So in the PGP-signed message that has been blocked from comments and reactions, Versus Armin responded. He referred to DeSnake as ‘a certain attention whore‘ and ‘turns out he is just talk and no action‘. 

Transaction Code For Vendors on Versus Market

Transaction Code For Vendors on Versus Market
Transaction Code For Vendors on Versus Market

In the message titled ‘Re: Vendor Transaction Code Inside’ He wrote;

“Here we go folks. Took a little longer because I thought a certain attention whore would help me a little by implementing the transactions into his little market but turns out he is just talk and no action. Guess his claim to have our database wasn’t true after all. Who would have thought?

Anyway I would like to thank the whole Versus community for a really good time and I wish you guys all the best. And don’t forget. Give multiisg a chance. Don’t trust central escrow. 

5263hmfhc63min75av7emofooltpd6jibrde7dnbicskjx3a3lngxkqd.onion” 

Of course this didn’t go well with DeSnake so he quickly started a new topic. ‘Re: Vendor Transactions Inside aka self-help guide: how to be a sour teenager.’ In his response, he called Versus Market admin ‘teenager admin from versus’ and ‘butthurt and incompetent admin.’ DeSnake further confirmed that he actually had access to the database. And even released some crucial information about the hack in his post on Dread

DeSnake’s Post Responding To Versus Market Admin

“Since teenager admin from versus decided to make a ‘classy exit’ post without giving ability to answer I will answer on here.

Took a little longer because I thought a certain attention whore would help me a little by implementing the transactions into his little market

I have to implement your database into mine? I have said it before if it was a hostile takeover that would have been done. And at this moment I have other things to attend. You ‘expect’ others to do your work for you, same as you ‘expect’ someone elses code that you had copied and integrated into your marketplace to be secure but in fact it was not hence the LFI vulnerability that led to full compromise.

To you, as a butthurt and incompetent admin, of course it will see like as you described it. Fact is that majority of the scene is ran by clowns. But when you got exposed by such suddenly it is drama. From one of your employees scammy sammy (sam culper) getting shown what he is. When he got refused a job with us to other big issues such as forever cookies and other genius level ideas. You have failed to take responsibility.

Continues

Instead someone else created the drama, someone else is responsible not you no you are just a passenger right? Lack of firewall no firejail no virtualization no sandboxing of any kind 0 security for a ‘security-driven’ marketplace, these are all someone elses responsibility and it is drama for pointing it out after your staff ignored it. It is drama that we possibly saved hundreds. If not thousands of customers and vendors getting busted due to your poor practices. Same it was drama that your marketplace was hacked 2 times before as well, that makes it more clear now. William there was some mutual respect (that is obviously gone now that you have shown you are indeed a sour teenager). But certain level of incompetence can not be tolerated as peoples lives are at stake.

Anyway as you said enough talk, anyone can see some of the information below and decide for themselves. I would assume that you have cleaned the server and left it by now. Since the information below is not too sensitive I find it okay to post. Given your stance on your post which is nothing more than a bitch cry muffled. And with a bit of white foam from your mouth as the lights go out. Remember that it was yourself that put the vulnerable code in. And hence the vibrator you have sat on has been put inside on your own from the beginning. 3 years ago, just because someone else pointed out that it was sticking out of yourself does not mean they turned it on. 

More And More 

Same as little yosi, instead of going out like a man and making excuses and last attempt with whatever reputation you have left to try to smear, you decide to show as everyone lack of a lot of qualities that make an admin good. Regardless what is done is done, it all only proves the amount of clowns running marketplaces all good when it is going well but it is the tough times that count and show to vendors and buyers alike what you are like. 

Again to bring up little yosi ‘incident’, instead of apologizing to his customers and moving on, he threw a fit like a girl and left Dread. You at least gave multisig transactions (I do not know what happened to the XMR, should we even ask?) so in that manner I will remove a few timestamps below that can identify the server as well as not post connected IPs to the server some of which mind you home ISP IP. 

Drama Continues As Versus Market Admin Responds

Drama Continues As Versus Market Admin Responds
Drama Continues As Versus Market Admin Responds

WilliamGibbson, the Versus Market admin, quickly responded to DeSnake. He said, ‘Are you the guy who had his market taken down by LE while you were “Head of Security”? Correct me if I am wrong.‘, Remember, the original AlphaBay was bursted some time in 2017 and one of the administrators died in unclear circumstances. So WilliamGibbson’s comment’s were targeting what befell the then AlphaBay. 

DeSnake also responded and claimed that the AlphaBay market was taken down due to the negligence of his fellow administrator. DeSnake blamed alpha02 for not implementing his advice that they were later busted. He added that ‘LE played dirty finding the servers behind Tor‘, and this led to the seizure. 

DeSnake’s Full Comment

” Still trying to throw dirt on your way out? Classy classy. What happened with the XMR transactions again?

When procedures are not followed to the dot what I have outlined in terms of network/server security and application of updates etc., there is nothing I can do. I can not physically go over and make admin Y or X do Z or Q, there is some certain amount of action that has to be taken that is or more accurately was out of my control. Now however I have applied everything and I dare you prove it wrong.

You forget that marketplaces like AlphaBay paved the way for platforms like yours to exist. You also very well know LE played dirty finding the servers behind Tor again should what I recommended been followed that would would not have been the case. Should there be an issue I will take responsibility like a man not like a sour kid. You might have been as a user on the old AlphaBay but your manners are certainly not one of an oldhead and though Versuses time is up due to the number of mistakes (you speak of LE but you should be greatful you did not suffer from it, as well as your customers and vendors), you could have left on a more classy note. But then again when you have nothing fruitful to say, throw the rock at the competitors house before you hide, nothing to lose right?

DeSnake’s Role In The Darknet

Now, DeSnake is actually one of the major players in the darknet scene. The AlphaBay market administrator came to the limelight in 2017 after authorities seized the original AlphaBay marketplace. He has since been instrumental in discussing matters darknet. He reintroduced AlphaBay in 2021 and has yet again become one of the biggest markets in the game. DeSnake has been a very controversial name since he’s considered to be one of the most lethal operators in the underworld. 

So this was just one of the incidences that he has gone big in the game. At the time of Versus Market closure, many people suspected DeSnake to be behind the hacking incident. He never confirmed this but only said the hackers reached out to him. Well, what befell the market is only known to the market’s administrators and their inner cycle.