Empire Market: The $30 Million Disappearance

Modeled in tribute to AlphaBay, Empire Market was the primary Western darknet hub from 2018 until its sudden disappearance in August 2020.

Extortion & Systemic Strain

For over 18 months, Empire battled coordinated DDoS extortion attacks demanding substantial weekly ransoms. In late August 2020, without warning, the site went dark, taking an estimated $30 million in customer deposits.