DarkDotFail Claims Law Enforcement Seized Monopoly Servers
Updated on January 30, 2021, to include a follow-up Tweet from DDF
According to Dark.Fail, law enforcement seized Monopoly Market’s servers:
ALERT: Monopoly Market’s servers were seized by their host, very likely law enforcement action. This was one of the largest cryptomarkets on the darknet.
If you conducted blockchain/cyber research on this platform be aware that your transaction history may be in unknown hands.
DarkDotFail issued a correction regarding Monopoly’s size:
Correction: Monopoly Market was not one of the largest, I misinterpreted my research data. It was however the longest standing western cryptomarket.
My source insisted upon remaining anonymous but provided irrefutable proof and confirmed their identity using PGP.
HugBunter, the creator of Dread, wrote, “this was my expectation as to what happened, but seizure may have occurred after he decided to dip out. There’s a lot going on similar to this right now and market admins needs to be vigilant and take precautions.”
Additionally:
“It’s not to say he wasn’t busted, we wouldn’t know that either way. What I am saying is he may have decided to exit and was busted after, that is another possibility. Similar to WSM bust, servers were already monitored for some time before and they took action when the admins exited.”
Monopoly's servers could have been monitored for some time prior to the disappearance.
To be clear, Monopoly was still around after the market went down, indicating perhaps that law enforcement only moved on the servers after Monopoly went offline. (Which is the same way they seized the WallStreet Market servers like HugBunter pointed out.) I have no evidence to support Dark.Fail’s claim. However, HugBunter’s claim that “a lot going on similar to this right now” is indeed accurate.
Dark.Fail’s tweet: archiveiya74codqgiixo33q62qlrqtkgmcitqx5u2oeqnmn5bpcbiyd.onion/mzRy9
HugBunter #1: dreadytofatroptsdj6io7l3xptbet6onoyno2yv7jicoxknyazubrad.onion/post/3d5b5486af663fb22c3e/#c-6752072ebc27d87639
HugBunter #2: dreadytofatroptsdj6io7l3xptbet6onoyno2yv7jicoxknyazubrad.onion/post/3d5b5486af663fb22c3e/#c-60da0397ea6d0ab8ce
I will publish an article or update the article on Monopoly’s disappearance as soon as I learn more.