White House Market Closes Down in the Darknet
Last week, the operators of the underground marketplace White House Market (WHM) announced the closure of their platform, nearly two years after its launch, according to The Record. “We have achieved our goal, and now, as planned, it’s time for us to step away,” read the official statement posted on WHM’s homepage, signed with the operators’ unique cryptographic key. “Thank you all for your business, trust, support, and of course, for putting large sums of money in our pockets. Someday, we may return with another project, or maybe not.”
After the announcement, the site—which operated similarly to Amazon and eBay—disabled new user registrations and the posting of new listings. Sellers were advised to move their products to other darknet marketplaces. “We will keep the site running for a limited time while all open orders are completed, disputes are resolved, and funds are withdrawn. We don’t know how long this will take, but don’t expect to come back in six months and find the marketplace still operating,” the WHM administrators wrote.
Background and Statistics
WHM launched on the darknet in October 2019. According to statistics published by the site’s administration, the marketplace had 895,000 registered users, 3,450 sellers, and about 47,500 listings. While the site was used to advertise and sell a variety of illegal goods and services, WHM was primarily known for its section dedicated to drug sales, with most vendors operating exclusively in European territories.
Other Products and Security Measures
Other products and services offered on WHM included:
- Bank cards
- Malware
- Production of various forgeries
- Military equipment, including weapons, body armor, jammers, and secure communication tools
Journalists noted that WHM maintained a high level of security, requiring all users to disable JavaScript in the Tor browser before accessing the site. The marketplace was also known for its strong team of moderators who actively participated in dispute resolution, which helped the site earn the trust of both sellers and buyers.