United States authorities have seized 145 internet domains and an undisclosed amount of cryptocurrency linked to BidenCash, a notorious dark web marketplace accused of trafficking millions of stolen credit card details and personal data.
The takedown, announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, follows a court-sanctioned operation targeting BidenCash’s infrastructure and financial network. All seized domains now redirect users to a law enforcement landing page, signaling the marketplace’s dismantling.
Launched in March 2022, BidenCash rapidly built a user base of over 117,000, enabling the illegal trade of more than 15 million stolen payment card numbers along with other personally identifiable information (PII). Authorities say the platform raked in over $17 million in criminal revenue before its shutdown.
In addition to trafficking stolen data, BidenCash also distributed login credentials, granting unauthorized access to personal and corporate systems. Between October 2022 and February 2023, it released a trove of 3.3 million stolen card records at no cost — a promotional tactic to lure more cybercriminals to its platform.
The investigation was spearheaded by the U.S. Secret Service’s Frankfurt Resident Office, the agency’s Cyber Investigative Section, and the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office. Officials say the operation is part of a larger U.S. effort to clamp down on cybercrime networks that rely on cryptocurrency and the anonymity of the dark web.
BidenCash’s takedown marks another major milestone in a string of recent global cybercrime enforcement actions. In May, Operation RapTor led to the dismantling of several dark web drug trafficking hubs, resulting in 270 arrests across 10 countries and the seizure of $200 million in assets, including significant holdings in digital currency.
Earlier this year, U.S. authorities imposed sanctions on the operator of Nemesis, a now-defunct darknet marketplace once used to peddle drugs, fake IDs, hacking tools, and other illicit services. As part of that case, officials froze 44 Bitcoin addresses and five Monero addresses tied to over $850,000 in crypto transactions between July 2022 and March 2024.
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