Darknet Entrepreneurs Sell Protective Medical Equipment for Bitcoin

Darknet shops that sell drugs and stolen credentials are now offering N95 respirator masks and anti-malaria medicines. To stay anonymous, these underground entrepreneurs accept bitcoin payments.

Some official stores including Amazon have banned selling those masks to the general public, as there is a deficiency of them. That is why some online markets decide to make them available only for medical workers as they are exposed to the highest risk while contacting infected patients.

The folks operating in the darknet decided to take advantage of such a situation and offered the general public to buy N95 for around $1,75, though its ordinary price is no higher than $1, Coinnounce news outlet reported. Besides, some of the most quick-witted stores with their owners obviously having a good sense of humour started offering a “Corona LockDown Survival Pack”. This package includes masks, anti-malaria medicines, toilet paper and cannabis.

Despite doctors argue that anti-malaria medicine when treating coronavirus is quite questionable, people still rush to buy them after the US President Donald Trump had said they actually help people to heal from COVID-19.   

Adjusting supply according to demand

It seems this is another proof that the COVID-19 pandemic influences the entire world including its underground community. As coinidol.com, a world blockchain news outlet has previously reported, the number of bitcoin transactions on the darknet has decreased significantly. 

While the most obvious reason for this is considered to be high price volatility of the coin due to the outbreak of the virus, there might be another reason as well. The thing is that amongst the lockdown, people are not rushing to buy drugs, stolen credentials or other goods offered by the darknet entrepreneurs. In a situation when people’s health is under a threat, there are little of those who would want to weaken it intentionally.

So, probably, by illegally offering respirators and anti-malaria drugs the darknet vendors might simply adjust the supply of goods to compensate for the lost demand.