Russian Darknet Markets Lead Crypto Drug Trade with $1.7 Billion Revenue Surge

In their 2025 Crypto Crime Report , TRM Labs emphasized that Russian-language marketplaces remain the leading force in illicit drug sales, accounting for over 97% of the total revenue generated through Bitcoin and TRON. Despite facing various challenges in 2024, these platforms experienced a slight rise in income compared to the previous year, demonstrating their resilience in a turbulent environment.

This growth can be attributed mainly to the relative safety of law enforcement in Russia, which has allowed these marketplaces to flourish. Additionally, analysts pointed out that some platforms continue to use dead-drop delivery models and depend on inexpensive precursor chemicals imported from China, which are essential for producing synthetic drugs. These combined factors have enabled Russian-language darknet marketplaces to maintain their dominance and succeed despite external pressures.

In stark contrast, Western darknet markets struggled significantly in 2024. A series of exit scams and heightened law enforcement crackdowns severely damaged trust in these platforms, particularly following the Incognito Market exit scam in March. However, Russian-language markets showed more stability, with only four platforms shutting down during the year. Analysts noted that these platforms tend to avoid exit scams, preferring to voluntarily close and allow users to withdraw their funds, a more secure practice than the Western market approach.

Meanwhile, On March 4, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned Iranian national Behrouz Parsarad for his involvement with Nemesis, a darknet marketplace linked to fentanyl trafficking. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) blacklisted 49 cryptocurrency addresses connected to the platform. Launched in 2021, Nemesis facilitated nearly $30 million in illegal transactions, with over 30,000 users and 1,000 vendors using Bitcoin (BTC) and Monero (XMR), highlighting ongoing global challenges in addressing illegal darknet activities.

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