Dream Market Darknet Marketplace to Close on April 30
Users of one of the most popular darknet marketplaces are in a panic. A message appeared on the main page of Dream Market announcing that the marketplace will be closed on April 30, 2019. After that, all services will be transferred to a certain “partner company,” whose website has not yet launched. It’s worth noting that Dream Market has recently been experiencing technical issues, apparently due to ongoing DDoS attacks on the site.
The appearance of this message coincided with press releases from the FBI, Europol, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, which reported on a large-scale joint operation called SaboTor aimed at combating drug trafficking on the darknet. Law enforcement agencies reported dozens of arrests and searches. For example, it was reported that 61 people have already been arrested, and 50 darknet accounts used for illegal activities have been shut down. In addition, 65 search warrants were executed, resulting in the seizure of 299.5 kg of narcotics, 51 firearms, and more than 6.2 million euros (about 4 million in cryptocurrency, 2 million in cash, and approximately 35,000 in gold). During Operation SaboTor, 122 people were also questioned.
Given these events, it’s not surprising that Dream Market users are panicking. Various theories are circulating on social media, including speculation that law enforcement agencies already control the marketplace, making it unsafe to visit Dream Market (or the new site expected to launch later).
Concerns Rooted in Past Precedents
Users’ concerns are not unfounded. It’s enough to recall what happened with the Hansa Market in 2017. At that time, law enforcement shut down the marketplace, but did not make this public right away. Instead, police continued to operate Hansa Market for a while, which helped them gather a wealth of evidence and information about the site’s customers.
Dream Market has been operating since 2013 and is now the last active marketplace from the once-famous “big four,” which also included AlphaBay, Hansa Market, and RAMP. As mentioned above, AlphaBay and Hansa Market were closed by law enforcement in 2017, and in the same year, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs reported shutting down RAMP. If Dream Market does indeed cease operations next month, among the relatively large darknet marketplaces, only T•chka and Wall Street Market will remain, for example.