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Chainalysis published the first excerpt from the 2021 Crypto Crime report today, highlighting some of the trends they are seeing in darknet markets. A few key takeaways from the report include:
- Darknet market revenue has already surpassed its 2019 total, making 2020 the highest year in revenues yet
- However, the number of active markets has fallen significantly, suggesting competitor consolidation and the number of individual purchases has fallen
- COVID has undoubtedly hindered darknet markets’ sales and operations by causing supply chain disruptions, particularly shipping delays.
- However, overall impact on darknet market closures has been minimal
- Rather than COVID, Chainalysis believes increased competition and law enforcement crackdowns have made it more difficult to run darknet markets which is why we're seeing a drop
