PlayIconNav
BTC
$67,246.43+2.70%
ETH
$3,106.53+5.18%
BNB
$582.07+2.97%
SOL
$170.60+7.54%
XRP
$0.52799923+1.48%
TON
$6.69-1.19%
DOGE
$0.15606491+3.32%
ADA
$0.48275621+5.05%
SHIB
$0.00002518+3.12%
AVAX
$37.08+9.06%
TRX
$0.12497760-0.36%
Ad
Consensus 2024Price Increase Extended Until
02
DAYS
03
HR
25
MIN
40
SEC
Finance

BTC Valued at $144M Sent to Coin Mixer From Defunct Darknet Market After Eight-Year Wait

The coins are linked to Abraxas marketplace, a darknet market that shut in 2015.

By Oliver Knight
AccessTimeIconOct 23, 2023 at 3:18 p.m. UTC
$144M of Abraxas BTC sent to coin mixer (Towfiqu Barbhuiya/Unsplash)
$144M of Abraxas BTC sent to coin mixer (Towfiqu Barbhuiya/Unsplash)
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
May 29-31, 2024 - Austin, TexasThe biggest and most established global event for everything crypto, blockchain and Web3.Register Now

An entity has moved 4,800 BTC ($144M) to a coin mixer from a wallet tied to defunct darknet marketplace Abraxas, which closed in 2015, according to blockchain analyst ZachXBT.

Abraxas shut suddenly eight years ago, locking user funds on the website in what was described as an "exit scam."

VolumeMuteUnmute

What's the Key to Winning a Hackathon?

  • Everything You Need to Know About the EasyA Consensus Hackathon
    14:01
    Everything You Need to Know About the EasyA Consensus Hackathon
  • Ether-Bitcoin Ratio Drops to Lowest Since April 2021
    00:59
    Ether-Bitcoin Ratio Drops to Lowest Since April 2021
  • Tornado Cash Developer Alexey Pertsev Appeals Guilty Verdict; CME's Plan for Spot Bitcoin Trading
    01:39
    Tornado Cash Developer Alexey Pertsev Appeals Guilty Verdict; CME's Plan for Spot Bitcoin Trading
  • Guild of Guardians Built to 'Win' the Web2 Mobile Space: Game Director
    14:32
    Guild of Guardians Built to 'Win' the Web2 Mobile Space: Game Director

    • The funds were left untouched until this week, when the wallet owner consolidated them before transferring the full amount to a bitcoin mixer.

    A mixer is a tool that jumbles up bitcoin transactions across a period of time by splitting the coins across various wallets. The U.S. treasury was looking to label coin mixers last week as a "primary money laundering concern."

    Edited by Sheldon Reback.

    Disclosure

    Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

    CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.

    Oliver Knight
    Oliver Knight

    Oliver Knight is a CoinDesk reporter based between London and Lisbon. He does not own any crypto.

    Follow @OKnightCrypto on Twitter

    Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.

    Read more about
    dark marketCoin Mixer