Interview With a Dark Net Market Developer
Posted by: DeepDotWeb
November 19, 2015
Couple of days ago, an unusual thread was posted on the Bitcointalk forum by a developer offering Darknet Market source code for sale, while this is something that we encountered before, it is not very common. We took the chance to do a short interview with the seller to learn more about his background, offer and intentions.
Who are you? (like type of person etc…)
Best way to describe me would be to say I’m a freedom loving nerd. I’ve been involved with Bitcoin since it’s early days having read the whitepaper not long after its release and have been in love with the concept ever since. I am also a avid cannabis user, so combining two of my passions seemed like a good idea.
You say you are into BTC from the very start, So i guess you did not buy back then…? (did not make early developer profits…)
I was one of the unlucky ones who lost a lot on MtGox, I also spent a lot on weed before the madness of 2013.. FML.
What do you do for a living?
I’m currently an unemployed web developer, I do a bit of freelancing on the side, but have dedicated myself to this project for the last 3 months or so. The stress and office working environment forced me to quit my job awhile ago, it just isn’t for me.
What is the background story that made you decide you want to develop DNM’s? The money you saw they generate or what?
Well I’ve been using DNM’s personally for many years (only cannabis) and have seen many come and go over that period. I would be lying if I said the money wasn’t the driving factor though, we all have bills to pay right?
What is the background story that made you decide you DO NOT want to develop DNM’s but rather sell the code?
My family. I don’t think I could handle the constant looking over my shoulder and god forbid being locked away like Ross.
Which other markets did you experience with? Ever worked for one of the existing / past markets?
I’ve done some security work for a popular DNM which I can’t name, but other than that I have only done clearnet Bitcoin related work over the past few years.
You say you have done some security work for past markets: Can youelaborate on this? (without revealing details about the market)
I have done some bug bounties and received some decent coin for it, that’s about it really.
What do you think on the current security of the active markets? its been a while since we encountered those hacks that were pretty common last year.
I think DNM admins have done well in 2015, I think offering reward bounties has played a large part in that. But as for the markets that have been hacked in the past, it’s impossible to tell if it was the work of hackers, or if those admins just pulled an exit scam and blamed it on hackers. It does seem like the perfect excuse doesn’t it.
You think that someone that doesn’t have the knowledge to write its own code could succeed with running a pre built markets?
I would expect the buyer to have at least a basic understanding of the language. But then again that’s not really my concern, I think as long as they or their partner/s can keep the servers online and not make any basic security mistakes then it shouldn’t be an issue.
The price tag seems a bit high! Why?
I do agree the price is high, but this is not exactly something you can call your local web development agency to create for you. The 100 BTC BIN price is just what I would like to get for it, not the minimum I’m willing to accept.
What makes your script better than available free scripts (need patching) like Bitwasp or its improved version Aflao?
The code is completely bespoke. It is unique and not a ‘clone’ of anything. Btw, all JS has been removed from the website. Even though it wasn’t a security issue since the code was there for everyone to see, I’ve taken it out to put peoples minds at ease. The layout/aesthetics haven’t change too drastically and functionality is unchanged.
What type of features does your market offer that differentiate it from the existing markets? (if any)
I think the main difference is that there is no registration or accounts needed, and vendors are hand picked.
Does it have multisig?
No.
Will you provide continues support for the buyer?
Only for a short period of time after the sale, but I will provide a full deployment/install guide and answer any questions relating to that. As soon as they’re online and in business, that’s where I walk away.
Had people interested so far? How many?
There has been some interest, but nothing significant. There are 2-3 people who seem genuinely interested in purchasing this, but until the first staged payment is made then the offer still on the table and open to bids.
Ok Thanks for your time and good luck with the sale!
Updated: 2015-11-19