Why Should Darknet Market Users Use “Mixers”?
Today, darknet markets continue to integrate various altcoins into their payment systems, giving users alternative payment options beyond traditional BTC. With the addition of different cryptocurrencies by dark markets, there has been a heated discussion among users of various platforms and on forums like Reddit about which cryptocurrency is the most anonymous and secure for transactions on the dark web. It’s clear that law enforcement agencies in some countries (such as Germany) are actively targeting darknet market users, making the level of anonymity increasingly important. Bitcoin is no longer sufficient.
Using Cryptocurrency Mixers
Among the many ways to increase your anonymity when making payments on the darknet, the most popular is using cryptocurrency mixers. The system is fairly simple: a person sends altcoins to a mixer, which mixes the incoming coins with others and then sends them from a different address to the intended destination. Of course, this service isn’t free—any reputable service will charge a percentage, which is usually dynamic: the larger the amount, the lower the fee.
Many darknet markets should consider integrating such services into their own platforms or developing partnerships with trusted mixers by providing links to mixers during the payment process. A good example of an integrated mixer could be seen on the now-defunct AlphaBay market, which was seized by law enforcement in mid-2017.
What’s Good About Altcoins?
Altcoins use methods like “ring signatures” and “stealth addresses” to ensure user privacy, making transactions more anonymous and secure. In fact, this poses a real challenge for authorities trying to track users based on transaction ledgers.
A good example of this is the recent leak of information about surveillance of cryptocurrency users in the United States. Naturally, the US military and NSA are actively analyzing user transactions on Bitcoin’s public blockchain. It’s important to note that once authorities make a breakthrough in tracking users of a specific coin (like Bitcoin), it becomes relatively easier for them to start tracking others as well.
For these reasons, experienced darknet users are more likely to use anonymous altcoins (such as ZRX, Monero, DASH) and a mixer to completely cover their tracks.
Choosing a Cryptocurrency Mixer
There are currently a wide variety of cryptocurrency shufflers available. The type of mixer you use will, of course, depend on the coin you’re using for the transaction. Moreover, you shouldn’t look for services that “shuffle Bitcoin into Litecoin”—these are most likely just exchanges. You can use them to increase the anonymity of your transactions, but for small deals, a regular mixer is enough. If a service offers to convert your cryptocurrency and calls itself a mixer (tumbling service, mixer, shuffler), it’s probably a scam.
Pay attention to whether a darknet platform or forum has built-in or partner mixers when making a transaction. It’s also recommended to use only reputable mixers with good reviews on various dark forums, as there’s a risk of running into a scam and losing your money.
Darknet Platforms with Built-In Mixers
Not long ago, a European darknet platform called Empire Market launched, which accepts payments in both BTC and LTC. The site’s developers have listed recommended mixers for secure payments:
- PrivCoin – for Litecoin payments
- BitBlender – for Bitcoin payments
Overall, the platform is reminiscent of AlphaBay and is currently the only market that accepts payments through mixers. Here are some other popular Bitcoin mixers on the darknet:
- Burger – burgerfroz4jrjwt.onion
- BitMixer – bitmixer2whesjgj.onion