Darknet Markets in Germany

Darknet Markets in Germany: The Truth Exposed

The demand for illegal substances is only increasing over time. People from all walks of life partake in recreational drugs, whether it be to relax or because they want to chase a high. With laws cracking down harder and harder on the selling and distribution of these substances, people are turning more and more to the darknet to get their fix. 

In Europe, Germany is among the top three biggest markets for drugs, next to the UK and the Netherlands, and they have a lot of darknet markets operating in the country. In this article, we will tell you about them and how they work.

What Are Darknet Markets?

Darknet markets, which are also known as cryptomarkets, offer a platform for the trading of a wide variety of illegal goods and services in a setting that is largely anonymous. It is estimated that approximately two-thirds of the products and services offered on darknet markets are related to the sale of illicit drugs. 

Even though relatively small in comparison to the overall retail market for drugs, the sale of pharmaceuticals in these markets is significant and appears to be growing. Suppliers based in the EU are essential participants in the darknet ecosystem.

The transactions that take place in darknet markets are concealed from view. The purpose of these marketplaces on the Tor network is to provide users and providers of darknet services with anonymity and security, respectively. Transactions are carried out with the help of a cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin and dark wallets, which protect both the buyer and the seller. 

As a deterrent for dishonest users, the operator of the website keeps the money in a secure location. The actual shipping of the goods through the postal system is the only link in the chain that could potentially be compromised–though that is changing of late.

The Art of Delivery

Both stealth and packaging are essential aspects of delivery, and they frequently have an effect on how customers rate a vendor. The term “stealth” refers to the method by which the product is disguised to look like a genuine delivery item, particularly with regard to x-ray machines used by the postal service. Some dealers will send drugs or contraband concealed within DVD cases, the battery compartments of torches, or even the spines of books in an effort to conceal them.

The term “packaging” refers to the manner in which the drug is packaged in order to evade detection by sniffer dogs or other methods of locating odors and traces. The use of Moisture Barrier Bags, vacuum-sealing kits, or Mylar bags by vendors is designed to eliminate the possibility of a sniffer dog detecting any odors that may be emanating from the package while also eliminating the possibility of any visual confirmation that the product contained within is a controlled substance (bags are opaque). 

It used to be the case that discussions on stealth and packaging were available to all participants on market forums; however, many modern market forums require a vendor account to gain access to these topics. This is done to prevent law enforcement agents from gaining knowledge on techniques.

Which Markets Operate in Germany?

Darknet markets are oftentimes not limited by physical borders between countries, though some make the ecosystem less sustainable with their laws. These sites will come and go, but the void will always be filled by up-and-coming sites because the demand for these substances will never go away. In this section, we will talk about the top five darknet markets that hold operations in Germany across major cities like Hamburg, Berlin, etc.

Cannazon Market

On the homepage of Cannazon, it is made abundantly clear that the company’s objective is to differentiate the sale of its drugs from the sale of other harmful and illegal substances. It provides a list of items that are categorically not allowed to be sold through its marketplace. Additionally, it makes it illegal to ship cannabis into or out of the United States. 

According to the European Medicines Agency (EMCDDA), Cannozon was responsible for transactions totaling more than $5.9 million between January and March of 2020 alone. These statistics do not indicate that people were using more cannabis during that time period, as some experts are quick to point out; rather, they indicate that dealers were stocking up for expected supply problems.

Heineken Express

Heineken Express is a drug-focused delivery service provider. There are Benzos, Cannabis, Ketamine, MDMA/XTC, Psychedelics, and Stimulants available for purchase in the store. The MDMA/XTC category has the most options available, while the other categories only provide fundamental choices. According to the provider, Heineken Express has already successfully delivered more than 15,000 packages to locations all over the world.

There is, of course, a search option available, allowing you to quickly and easily locate a particular item in the catalog. Customers can leave feedback for any purchases they make, allowing other users to more accurately assess whether or not a specific product is worth their money.

Revolution Market

The Revolution Market is an extremely simple marketplace that possesses all the features necessary for a fundamental dark-net market. Bitcoin and Monero are two of the cryptocurrencies that can be used to complete transactions. It is necessary to store the cryptocurrencies in a wallet that is integrated into the system. Direct deposit transactions are not supported. Escrow services in the traditional sense are available for each and every transaction. Additionally, Miltisig escrow is supported, but it can only be used for transactions involving Bitcoin. PGP encryption is available and can be used for two-factor authentication as well as the encryption of messages.

Revolution is a very straightforward online marketplace overall. The features that are provided fulfill the requirements for a positive shopping experience on the dark web. The growth that has been experienced is pretty good, taking into consideration that Revolution has been around for almost an entire year.

Dark Fox Market

The Dark Fox market comes equipped with its own wallet. Because of this, direct payment for orders is not possible. This also indicates that one must first register in order to place an order. Regrettably, Dark Fox only accepts Bitcoin payments. In the not too distant future, we anticipate the addition of support for additional currencies, particularly privacy coins such as Monero.

The Dark Fox Market is a comprehensive online marketplace that provides users with access to a wide variety of features. Support for Escrow can be discovered on the market, in addition to 2/3 Multisig. Only trusted vendors may make use of the Early Finalization or the 50 percent FE option. PGP support and two-factor authentication are both available on the market as an additional layer of security.

The Versus Project

The Versus Project is being developed for and by the community, and the buyers are being given as many opportunities as possible to participate in the expansion of the market.

The only requirements for registering on Versus Market are a username (which can be between 4 and 24 characters long), a password (which must be at least eight characters long), and a login phrase. After finishing the registration process, simply enter your username and password into the appropriate fields, and you will be brought to the homepage.

The Takedown of DarkMarket

Only last year, law enforcement agencies from a number of different countries joined forces in order to shut down what, according to Europol, was then the world’s largest illegal marketplace: DarkMarket. Before it was taken offline, DarkMarket counted close to half a million users. It featured more than 2,400 sellers, 320,000 transactions and saw $171 million worth of cryptocurrency trading hands as a result of those activities. 

According to the announcement made by Europol, the primary products that vendors sold on the marketplace were illegal substances, counterfeit money and credit card details, malware, and anonymous SIM cards.

Alongside Europol, law enforcement agencies from Germany, Australia, Denmark, Moldova, Ukraine, the United Kingdom (represented by the National Crime Agency), and the United States (represented by the DEA, FBI, and IRS) took part in the operation. An Australian national was detained by German authorities over the weekend on suspicion of being the person responsible for operating a marketplace located close to the border between Germany and Denmark. 

The findings of a German cybercrime unit allowed for the closure of DarkMarket as well as the seizure of its servers (more than 20 of them), which were located in Moldova and Ukraine. The information that was stored on those servers will lead them to the moderators, sellers, and customers of the marketplace.

Conclusion

Darknet markets are rife with risk, but they’re here to stay. For as long as the law curtails a substance that the people really want, the darknet markets will be there to facilitate the delivery of these things. It remains to be seen what the state will do to stem the tide of darknet markets–or even if that can be done. Darknet markets in Germany are quite popular among young people, and the liberal legislation contributes to this.