Wall Street Market

Wall Street Market
Wall Street Market emblem
Launched2016
ClosedMay 2019
Founder(s)Three operators (German-led case)
NetworkTor hidden service (.onion)
CurrencyBitcoin
Est. revenueAbout 4.3 million dollars (est.)
Peak sizeOver 1 million users claimed
Seized

Wall Street Market was one of the largest European-facing markets before a German-led international operation dismantled it in May 2019, together with Silk Road 3.1 and Valhalla.

External sources - Reddit

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History

Wall Street Market grew quickly to become the largest market aimed at European buyers. Its administrators were identified and prosecuted in Germany, where three operators were eventually convicted.

Operation

The takedown began inside the market itself: its operators had staged an internal exit scam that attracted law-enforcement attention. Investigators used the resulting access to trace the administrators and seize servers.

Downfall

In May 2019 German authorities announced the seizure alongside the takedown of Silk Road 3.1 and Valhalla in the same operation. Several operators were arrested and later sentenced to lengthy prison terms.

Legacy

The Wall Street Market case underscored how often market collapses are caused by internal greed rather than external pressure, and how such internal crimes expose operators to arrest. It also marked the effective end of the European "supermarket" era.