World’s Biggest Darknet Marketplace Taken Down, Authorities Seize More Than $25 Million in Bitcoin

A Russian darknet marketplace widely claimed to be the biggest such marketplace in the world has been taken down by investigators in Germany.

“Today the German Federal Criminal Police, in coordination with U.S. federal law enforcement, seized the servers of Hydra Market,” a Department of Justice rep said in a statement shared Tuesday, per a report from NBC News. The Russian-language site in question, which is said by investigators to have amassed more than 17 million “customer accounts,” had been operating since 2015 or earlier.

As part of the multi-agency investigation, per the Associated Press, just over $25 million in crypto was also seized. When operating, the Hydra site is said to have included everything from drugs to forged documents being offered by more than 19,000 registered sellers. In 2020 alone, prosecutors have claimed, this darknet market saw sales of “at least” 1.23 billion euros ($1.34 billion).

“Our actions send a message today to criminals that you cannot hide on the darknet or their forums, and you cannot hide in Russia or anywhere else in the world,” Secretary of Treasury Janet L. Yellen said. “In coordination with allies and partners, like Germany and Estonia, we will continue to disrupt these networks.”

Investigations focused on the Hydra Market started in August of last year and included involvement from the U.S. Other services alleged to have been provided on Hydra included the procuring of intercepted data, with advertising for certain items reportedly having been documented in multiple countries.