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Annual Review of Sociology

Volume 50, 2024

Online Illegal Cryptomarkets

Abstract

Cryptomarkets—online markets for illegal goods—have revolutionized the illegal drug trade, constituting about 10% of all drug trades and attracting users to a greater variety of and more addictive substances than available in offline drug markets. This review introduces the burgeoning area of sociology research on illegal cryptomarkets, particularly in the realm of drug trade. We emphasize the expanding role of illicit online trade and its relevance for understanding broader exchange challenges encountered in all illegal trade settings. Examining the effects of online illegal trade on consumption and supply-side policing, we also discuss the harm and potential benefits of moving drug exchange from offline to online markets. We argue for a network perspective's efficacy in this research domain, emphasizing its relevance in assessing trade and discussion networks, technical innovation, and market evolution and vulnerabilities. Concluding, we outline future research areas, including market culture, failure, and the impact of online illegal trade on stratification.

Keyword(s): cryptomarkets, drugs, illegal markets, networks, technology, trust
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2024-08-12
2025-04-25
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/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-soc-090523-052916
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Online Illegal Cryptomarkets
Annual Review of Sociology 50, 671 (2024); https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-soc-090523-052916
/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-soc-090523-052916
/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-soc-090523-052916
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