AlphaBay was a darknet market that operated on the Tor network from September 2014 to July 2017. It was commonly referred to as the largest online black market before being shut down by law enforcement officials. AlphaBay became well-known for facilitating the sale of illegal drugs, firearms, counterfeit products, and numerous other illicit items. The darknet market's interface was easy to use, and it was popular among users who wanted to remain anonymous while conducting their transactions.

In July 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice shutdown AlphaBay and arrested its admin, Alexandre Cazes, in Thailand, who, unfortunately, died in custody. Subsequently, other individuals connected to the market, including several vendors, were also arrested. The AlphaBay's downfall led to the takedown of other dark web markets like Hansa and RAMP, which law enforcement learned about after infiltrating AlphaBay's servers. AlphaBay's exit caused ripples in the dark web community and prompted users to switch to other markets .

In August 2021, four years after its shutdown, AlphaBay resurfaced with a new website claiming to be run by the original founder, DeSnake. The website's legitimacy is still up in the air, and it is uncertain whether this is a continuation or a hoax .

For more information about AlphaBay dark web market, please refer to the following sources: dark web markets