Civil Forfeiture Is State-Sanctioned Theft

Ever since 1929, the FBI has shared annual crime statistics via the Uniform Crime Reporting Program. Each year, it breaks down criminal activity into such categories as homicide, weapons, human trafficking, and hate crime. One category that is noticeably absent from the report is civil asset forfeiture. In the eyes of the law, this is … Read more

Report: Bitcoin Use on Darknet Markets Doubled in 2018

Bitcoin use on darknet markets (DNMs) doubled in 2018, a study has shown, rising to an average of $2 million per day. Bitcoin has long been used to buy goods on the darknet due to its relative anonymity, and looks set to remain a favorite on DNMs, despite the existence of more privacy-focused cryptocurrencies. Also … Read more

Dropgangs and Dead Drops: Report Highlights Evolving Darknet Market Opsec

Since the creation and subsequent takedown of the darknet marketplace the Silk Road, the hidden market ecosystem has exploded with inventive solutions that promote private voluntary exchanges. According to recently published darknet market (DNM) research, the cat and mouse game continues with vendors inventing new ways to bolster online black market activities. In the last … Read more

A Heartbroken Mother Hopes President Trump Will Exonerate Ross Ulbricht

Lyn Ulbricht, the mother of convicted Silk Road administrator Ross Ulbricht, has expressed hope that U.S. president Donald Trump will pardon her son. Ulbricht’s family believes that Ross didn’t receive a fair trial and his sentencing was extremely harsh for a crime that didn’t involve violence. The interview with Lyn Ulbricht follows the recent 111,588 … Read more

Another Silk Road Vendor Gets Arrested

Most Bitcoin enthusiasts are well aware of the Silk Road debacle. This infamous darknet marketplace was shut down in 2013, and numerous associated individuals have been arrested over the years. The latest name to be of interest in this investigation is James Ellingson. He has been arrested in Vancouver this month, and currently awaits trial. … Read more

Silk Road Operator Libertas Pleads Guilty, Seeks Plea Deal

Gary Davis, an Irishman who was extradited to the United States in July to face charges for his suspected involvement in the operations of Silk Road, has reportedly begun discusssing a plea bargain with prosecutors. Davis, who was known as ‘Libertas’ on Silk Road, has pled guilty to conspiring to distribute narcotics – a charge … Read more