Architep, the largest dark web drug marketplace, was shut down following police raids. International law enforcement authorities seized large amounts of data from employees, sellers, and buyers. This dark web marketplace was known for conducting all of its transactions using the privacy token Monero (XMR).
With five years of active trading and a total trading volume of $250 million, Architep was a giant in the sector. Dark web drug markets are becoming increasingly sophisticated, but law enforcement is cracking down.
Searching for cryptocurrency markets on the dark web
While the cryptocurrency community in 2025 is experiencing a fair amount of criminal activity, darknet drug markets may seem like a relic of a bygone era. Many of the largest websites have long since ceased operations, and current Bitcoin wallets are considered "obsolete."
However, the seizure of Archetyp, the world's largest dark web drug marketplace, by law enforcement agencies reminds us that this trade is still active:
"I regret to say this, but I was arrested on June 11 by special forces of the Spanish National Police... on behalf of the German Public Prosecutor's Office and with the support of police forces in the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Romania and the United States, as well as Europol and Eurojust," the unidentified director of Architep said in a statement.
This high level of international cooperation undoubtedly demonstrates governments' willingness to shut down these sites. Despite the increasing sophistication of money laundering tools on the dark web, cross-border operations have made significant progress in recent months.
Architep was a victim of this massive campaign on the dark web. Architep, which describes itself as a "hidden marketplace," was by far the world's largest dark web drug market. In its five years of operation, its transaction volume exceeded $250 million.
Letter from authorities regarding Archetyp domain.
Local authorities seized $7.8 million in assets, but their press release did not specify the exact amount of the confiscated funds, whether they were cryptocurrency, computers, or drugs. In any case, police were able to penetrate the entire Architeb darknet, from core developers to sellers and buyers.
Deconstructing the original model
This intelligence success was notable for several reasons. Archetyp imposed strict operational procedures: access via Tor only, PGP-encrypted communications, escrow, and two-factor authentication for interactions between vendor and user.
It also had an exclusive membership model. Only invited users could join the marketplace. Notably, the platform used Monero instead of Bitcoin, further facilitating user privacy.
Now, several senior Archetyp employees have been arrested, and the dark web has lost its largest drug market. While long-dormant organizations tend to resurface, five years of continuous operation is a remarkable achievement.
This sector represents the most radically liberal community in the cryptocurrency space, and it has suffered a devastating blow.
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