The average
dark web transaction is between 50 and 300 USD and the speed of confirmation is very important, given that delays can lead to fraud and theft.
Moreover, the media is merely surmising that Bitcoin was used because it has been the chosen currency for other
dark web transactions:
To the surprise of many, it seems that Litecoin accounts for 30 % of
dark web transactions in the present, which is much higher than any other currency that is not Bitcoin used in the dark web at this time.
«What we started to see in 2017 was a diversification of cryptocurrencies used on the dark web, like ethereum, which really gained a lot of prominence and is increasingly used for
dark web transactions,» said Sixgill's Condra.
The evidence from this longitudinal study articulates an alternative reality on the dark web — one that sees Litecoin as a popular crypto coin for
dark web transactions.
After all, altcoins are still the currency of choice for
dark web transactions.
Not exact matches
Using them for services (and we'll bypass the questionable
transactions on the
dark web) has been complicated by high user fees.
Yesterday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin broadly addressed the government's interest in monitoring bitcoin
transactions, worrying about the prevalence of cryptocurrency usage on the
dark web.
According to Recorded Future, most
Dark Web illicit services have implemented alternative payment systems besides Bitcoin, as a way to counter recent price fluctuations, high
transaction fees, and the ever - increasing
transaction time.
As you may already be expecting, most of these
transactions are arranged and take place on the
dark web, which is a place with pages that aren't indexed by search engines, filled with illegal activity of all kinds.
For example, when a customer attempts to deposit bitcoin funds, the system can flag if the incoming
transaction should be considered high risk (e.g.
dark web markets).
For example, when a customer attempts to deposit cryptocurrency funds, the system can flag if the incoming
transaction should be considered high risk (e.g. from
dark web markets).
Digital currencies are a popular choice of payment for
transactions conducted on the
dark web.
Two years ago, Ulbricht was sentenced to life in prison for his role in running the
dark web exchange, best known as a once - thriving online marketplace for drug
transactions.
Bitcoin was used to trade in illicit products and services on the
dark web, as it was relatively simple to get hold of, reliable, and very hard for anyone to monitor
transactions and where the money ended up.
«Bitcoin creates suspicion amongst citizens and government policymakers because of its association with criminal
transactions and «
dark web» trading sites, such as the now defunct Silk Road,» he says.
Shamo, along with other
dark web operators Drew Wilson Crandall, Mario Anthony Noble, and Sean Michael Gygi, was found guilty on May 31, 2017 of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, aiding the importation of a controlled substance, intentional adulteration of drugs, use of the US mail in drug trafficking, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and engaging in monetary
transaction in property derived from specified unlawful activity.
Slow
transaction times and high fees are causing
dark web users to favor Litecoin and, to a lesser extent, Dash, over bitcoin.
The prospect of having to wait up to 24 hours to confirm
transactions, along with high payment fees, has rendered bitcoin payments unusable for many
dark web users.
Security researchers strongly believe that Monero, due to its loosely built anonymity and privacy features, has become the go - to tool for
transactions of illegal nature across the
dark web.
Elements of the
dark web are disavowing bitcoin in favor of Litecoin and even Dash, a sign that slow
transaction speeds and higher fees are driving users away from the original blockchain.
Litecoin
transactions are cheaper and faster and now coin holders initially using bitcoin have turned to making their purchases using Litecoin on the
dark web.
Speed is essential for any financial
transaction especially in
Dark Web where people do not trust each other.
Assuming that Telegram's platforms sees a similar ratio of
transaction balances to annual revenue as the now - defunct
dark web marketplace Silk Road (one - sixth), Gram's market cap will reach $ 200 billion.
Since
transactions within LiteCoin are faster and cheaper, every coin holder who was early on using Bitcoin to make purchases on the
Dark Web is now using LiteCoin.
Now, the percentage of people who are actively involved with criminal
transactions within the
Dark Web is 30 %, while Bitcoin usage dropped to only 13 % on the
Dark Web.