The Silk Road Dark Web has long been synonymous with illegal activities and underground dealings. This online marketplace, accessible only through special software like Tor, gained notoriety for facilitating the buying and selling of drugs, weapons, and other illicit goods.
- However, the bigger story, according to many, is what the future holds for digital technology and privacy rights of individuals involved in activities of a less-nefarious nature.
- Bitcoin’s value is based on the market; currently, one Bitcoin is worth about $115.
- FBI Agent Christopher Tarbell of the FBI’s cyber-crime unit in New York called Silk Road “the most sophisticated and extensive criminal marketplace on the Internet today.”
While previous efforts to resurrect the marketplace have ended in failure, we cannot necessarily ignore the latest Silk Road incarnation. As the operator of Crypto Market is now on board, considering the escrow market is generally considered a reliable trading post, the new Silk Road may follow suit. But before he had a chance to visit, Ross Ulbricht was arrested by the FBI in the fall of 2013. This followed a lengthy investigation by the FBI and other agencies, including the IRS, DEA, and Department of Homeland Security.
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History of The Silk Road
An increase in the use of cyber technology like cryptocurrency and ecommerce marketplaces led to an increase in the demand for data privacy. Demand for privacy increased regulation and laws over how data is used; additionally, an increase in technological tools and platforms was created to serve users who prefer to live more anonymously. While the initiation of data anonymization tools helps protect users’ personally identifiable information (PII), these tools are also used by entities who intend to conduct illegal and criminal activities. In 2011, the Silk Road was born out of a need to connect illicit drug sellers with interested buyers online while protecting their identities and transactions using anonymization techniques.
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Launched in 2011 by Ross Ulbricht under the pseudonym “Dread Pirate Roberts,” The Silk Road quickly became a hub for anonymous transactions. The site operated on the dark web, offering users a platform to engage in transactions without fear of being traced.
All transactions were done in the anonymizing virtual currency Bitcoin. Its owner-operator, Dread Pirate Roberts, was said to be a criminal mastermind and technical wunderkind who never left a trail. Chris Tarbell is a former FBI Special Agent who focuses on cyber crime and cyber investigations. As a case agent with the FBI’s cybercrime squad in New York, he led some of the most groundbreaking cybercrime investigations in the world. These included the arrest and prosecution of “Anonymous” and “LulzSec” leadership. And he was involved in the arrest and prosecution of the founder of the notorious Silk Road underground marketplace.
Ulbricht’s success brought myriad challenges, not the least of which was hiding the identities of vendors and customers. In March and April 2013, prosecutors say, Ulbricht solicited the murder for hire of “FriendlyChemist,” a vendor who was demanding a half-million dollars not to reveal the identities of some Silk Road vendors and suppliers. A few days after the threat, another anonymous user, “redandwhite,” contacted DPR (Dread Pirate Roberts) claiming to be the person “FriendlyChemist” owed money to, and eventually agreed to commit a murder for hire for DPR.
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How Does It Work?
Users access The Silk Road using encryption tools like Tor, which allows them to browse the site anonymously. Transactions are conducted using Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency that offers a high level of anonymity. Buyers and sellers communicate through encrypted messages, further protecting their identities.
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The FBI got insight into Ulbricht’s computer code from an undisguised post on a computer programming website. On March 5, 2012, Ulbricht opened an account under his own name on stackoverflow.com, posted 12 lines of computer code and sought advice for fixing a coding problem. Realizing his error, he quickly deleted his real name and changed his user name to “frosty” and his e-mail to In his postings on Silk Road’s forum, the site operator “Dread Pirate Roberts’ ” signature included a link to the Mises Institute website. “Dread Pirate Roberts” often cited Austrian economic theory and the works of Ludwig von Mises as the philosophical underpinning of Silk Road.
Legal Issues and Shutdown
- In October 2013, the FBI shut down The Silk Road and arrested Ulbricht, who was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
- Despite the closure of the original site, several successors have emerged, attempting to fill the void left by The Silk Road.
Frequently Asked Questions
Still reliant on postal services
- Is it legal to access The Silk Road Dark Web?
- Can transactions on The Silk Road be traced?
- What measures are being taken to combat illegal marketplaces like The Silk Road?
Accessing the dark web itself is not illegal, but engaging in illegal activities on sites like The Silk Road is against the law.
The most widespread and systemic use of force is amongst institutions and governments, so this is my current point of effort. To that end, I am creating an economic simulation to give people a first-hand experience of what it would be like to live in a world without the systemic use of force. The Silk Road was notable also for using Bitcoins as its main currency for exchanges, based on the fact that like the site itself, Bitcoin is largely anonymous in nature.
Due to the use of encryption and cryptocurrencies, tracing transactions on The Silk Road is extremely difficult, if not impossible.
Law enforcement agencies around the world are working together to track down and shut down illegal marketplaces on the dark web, including The Silk Road.
While The Silk Road may have been shut down, its legacy lives on in the world of the dark web. As authorities continue to crack down on illegal activities online, it serves as a reminder of the challenges posed by the digital underground.
