Abacus Market, the largest Bitcoin darknet marketplace in the West, suddenly disappeared, raising suspicions of an exit scam, damaging community trust with millions of USD lost by users.
After dominating the market with over 70% market share and 6.3 million USD in revenue each month, the sudden collapse of Abacus has raised alarms about the volatility of the darknet cryptocurrency ecosystem.
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The disappearance of Abacus Market raises suspicions of an exit scam, causing significant losses to users.
This darknet market once held over 70% market share and achieved revenue of 6.3 million USD/month in June.
The cause may be due to legal risks prompting the operator to choose 'self-protection' rather than continue operating.
What happened to Abacus Market?
According to a report by TRM Labs – a leading Blockchain analytics company, both the darknet and clearnet platforms of Abacus Market are currently inaccessible, raising suspicions of an exit scam carried out by the management.
The closure occurred just after a wave of user complaints about being unable to withdraw funds at the end of June. Although administrator Vito claimed the cause was due to a DDoS attack and a spike in traffic, the operational methods resemble many previously known exit scams.
"In the context of choosing between seeking profit or self-protection, the management of Abacus may have opted for self-protection after the Archetyp collapse and the sudden increase in users made them a target."
Quote from TRM Labs report, 7/2025
The loss of trust occurred rapidly, with deposits dropping from an average of 230,000 USD per day in mid-June to only 13,000 USD by mid-July, indicating that the community panicked and withdrew from this darknet market.
Why did Abacus Market boom before collapsing?
The disappearance of Abacus occurred just weeks after the market reached peak revenue. After Europol dismantled Archetyp Market on June 16, users turned to Abacus, allowing this market to dominate over 70% of the Bitcoin darknet market share in the West.
In June alone, Abacus generated 6.3 million USD – a record business result they had achieved. Similar growth spikes also occurred after the closure events of ASAP Market in July 2023 and Incognito Market in March 2024.
TRM Labs notes that darknet users tend to move to the next 'reputable' platform after each market shuts down, putting new platforms under increasing scrutiny and legal risk.
Is this a scam or a crackdown by authorities?
Most experts believe that the management of Abacus chose to withdraw with a significant amount of user funds to avoid a fate like Archetyp Market. However, the theory of a secret crackdown by authorities has not been ruled out.
There has been no public indication of seizures from the authorities. Meanwhile, the administrator of the Dread forum – a community closely monitoring Abacus – has also not confirmed the theory of an official crackdown.
During its 4 years of operation, Abacus may have processed a total of 300 million to 400 million USD in Bitcoin and Monero transactions. As legal risks increased, choosing to 'self-protect' rather than continue profiting was seen as a safe strategy by the management.
"Faced with the choice between profit and self-protection, the management of Abacus chose self-protection to avoid a fate similar to Archetyp."
Quote from TRM Labs expert, 7/2025
Whether due to greed, fear, or a covert crackdown, the result is that users lost everything and a new chapter in the darknet cryptocurrency market ends in silence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Abacus Market?
Abacus Market is the largest darknet cryptocurrency marketplace in the West, specializing in trading Bitcoin and Monero.Why did Abacus Market suddenly disappear?
According to TRM Labs, the management may have executed an exit scam to avoid being taken down like Archetyp Market.How much money did users lose in this case?
It is estimated that millions of USD in user deposits could not be withdrawn.Have the authorities dismantled Abacus yet?
There has been no official announcement regarding seizures, but this possibility has not been ruled out.How can users avoid losses in similar cases?
Users should be cautious and not send too much money to unverified platforms to reduce risk.
Source: https://tintucbitcoin.com/darknet-bitcoin-bien-mat-nghi-exit-scam/
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