Bitcoin-powered darknet Abacus Market goes dark — exit scam or silent takedown?

Abacus Market, once the largest Bitcoin-enabled darknet marketplace serving Western users, has gone dark in what analysts believe is a major exit scam.

TRM Labs reported on July 14 that the platform’s web infrastructure, including its clearnet mirror, became unreachable in early July. No seizure notice has since been posted. Although it’s possible that law enforcement shut down the site in a covert operation, most signs point to its operators vanishing with user funds.

Trouble began in late June when users reported difficulty withdrawing funds. The platform’s administrator, known as “Vito,” claimed on darknet forum Dread that the issues were caused by a flood of new users from recently shuttered Archetyp Market and a DDoS attack. But users were unconvinced, and deposit volumes plummeted from $230,000 per day to just $13,000 by early July.

Since its debut in 2021, when it was first known as Alphabet Market, Abacus had experienced steady growth. It rebranded later that year and gained traction by targeting the Australian market and offering both Bitcoin (BTC) and Monero (XMR) for transactions. 

Abacus gained more than 70% of the Western DNM market share after Incognito Market was taken down in 2024 and ASAP Market was voluntarily closed in 2023. Total sales, according to TRM, were between $300 million and $400 million. 

Its operators may have made a calculated choice based on the timing of its disappearance. Following Archetyp’s June 2025 seizure, Abacus reached a record $6.3 million in monthly volume.

The administrators may have decided to cash out and leave rather than run the risk of becoming the next target. Historically, DNM operators who exit at the top, like those behind Agora and WhiteHouseMarket, have often avoided prosecution.

TRM’s report highlights a broader trend where Western DNMs are increasingly unstable. Vendors and users, on the other hand, often migrate to encrypted apps or low-effort replacement markets. Whether Abacus was truly an exit scam or a silent bust remains unclear, but its downfall is another blow to an ecosystem under growing pressure.