article 🎭💸 The Fall of Abacus Market: Largest Bitcoin-Powered Darknet Marketplace Disappears in Suspected Exit Scam 💸🎭

Please Register !

Key Highlights:

• Abacus Market, the largest Bitcoin-centric darknet marketplace, has suddenly vanished.

• Admins blamed DDoS attacks for withdrawal delays — a classic sign of an exit scam.

• Law enforcement previously cracked down on 145 darknet platforms, possibly influencing this disappearance.

Please Register !

Another Darknet Giant Falls

Abacus Market, once hailed as the largest Western darknet marketplace built on Bitcoin, has abruptly gone offline. The platform’s clearnet mirrors and infrastructure are now inaccessible, igniting strong suspicions across the cybersecurity world of a coordinated exit scam.

According to blockchain analytics firm TRM Labs, the site vanished without notice. “It appears the operators decided to pull an exit scam, taking user funds and shutting operations overnight,” TRM’s report concluded.

The timing is suspicious: Abacus’s downfall follows the June 2025 takedown of Archetyp Market — a notorious veteran among darknet platforms. That closure had pushed heavy traffic and transactions toward Abacus, possibly bringing unwanted attention from authorities.

Please Register !

'Withdrawal Issues' or the Old Exit Scam Playbook?

Problems began surfacing in late June when users reported being unable to withdraw their funds. In response, Abacus’s administrator, known by the alias “Vito”, pointed fingers at a sudden spike in users combined with a DDoS attack disrupting services.

However, TRM Labs quickly recognized this as textbook exit scam behavior commonly observed across darknet markets in the past.

Despite reassurances from “Vito,” user confidence collapsed. Daily deposits plummeted from roughly $230,000 in June to a mere $13,000 between June 28 and July 10.

Please Register !

A Marketplace Built on Bitcoin and Monero

Abacus Market specialized in the sale of illegal substances, from stimulants to psychedelics, and operated via a central deposit system supporting both Bitcoin (BTC) and Monero (XMR) for transactions.

Following the Europol-led takedown of Archetyp Market on June 16, many migrated to Abacus, causing the platform to hit a peak $6.3 million in June sales.

This wasn’t their first growth spike. After the voluntary closure of ASAP Market last year, Abacus claimed over 70% of Bitcoin-based darknet market share in the West.

TRM Labs noted:

Please Register !

Estimated Financial Damage

In just four years of activity, Abacus facilitated nearly $100 million in Bitcoin transactions. When factoring in Monero volumes, the total could realistically exceed $300-$400 million.

Please Register !

Motivation or Survival?

TRM Labs speculates the admins either lost interest or prioritized escaping prosecution after the Archetyp bust increased scrutiny.

There’s also growing speculation that law enforcement could have silently seized the infrastructure, gathering intelligence without announcing it publicly — a tactic used before.

However, Dread, the darknet forum linked to Abacus, remains skeptical:

Please Register !

US Authorities Strike Hard Again

In June 2025, US officials shut down BidenCash, a dark web market infamous for selling over 15 million stolen credit cards and sensitive data.

That international operation also took down around 145 darknet and clearnet domains tied to illegal markets.

Further, the Department of Justice seized over $24 million in crypto from a Russian national linked to the Qakbot malware operation.

Please Register !

Conclusion

The sudden disappearance of Abacus Market seems to fit the classic darknet exit scam narrative: withdrawal problems, DDoS excuses, vanishing admins, and lost funds. Whether it was voluntary or forced by authorities remains unclear.

One thing is certain: the golden age of anonymous darknet trading grows increasingly dangerous for participants.