In the world of online crime, shutting down a website or a few social media accounts is no longer enough. As darknet marketplaces grow smarter, they often hide behind complex networks that are difficult to trace or break.
Huione is a Chinese‑language darknet marketplace for illicit goods and services. On May 13, its operators said they were closing after Telegram banned thousands of related accounts.
Yet blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis reports that transactions tied to Huione have not fallen. They have grown since the supposed shutdown.
Continued Operations
Chainalysis found that billions of dollars still flow through Huione’s system. The takedown of its website and Telegram channels did not slow the site.
Users simply moved to new domains and private channels. A report released Thursday shows the platform’s trade volume rose after its public‑facing parts disappeared.
FinCEN’s Money‑Laundering Move
On May 1, 2025, the U.S. Treasury’s FinCEN named Huione a primary money laundering concern under Section 311 of the Patriot Act. This step aims to block the marketplace from U.S. banks. Even before the rule is final, many banks cut ties.
Yet data show Huoine’s dollar‑denominated crypto trades barely budged. The early trend hints at deep resilience.
Evasive Infrastructure
Huione’s operators rely on a web of hidden services. After the closure, they resurfaced under a new address, Huione.me. They kept the old logo and reopened Telegram channels.
This change shows how the marketplace runs on a complex backend. Public takedowns cannot reach the core nodes that handle transactions.
Laundering Methods
The Chainalysis report outlines the main ways criminals wash money on Huione. Some vendors move funds to prepaid cards after a vetting process. Others swap cash for stablecoins through local agents.
More elaborate schemes use many steps and multiple currencies to hide trails. A few even organise in‑person pickups with escorts. These tactics reveal strong links to offline crime groups.
Also Read: Telegram Shuts Haowang Guarantee Amid Allegations of Crypto Scams and Cybercrime
Broader Ecosystem Response
Huione is not the only guaranteed service in this space. After its shutdown, smaller platforms saw mixed results.
One Telegram‑based service called Tudou Danbao saw a huge percentage growth. But its actual volume remains tiny next to Huione’s billions. This suggests new money joined rather than old users switching. Huione’s sheer scale still dwarfs competitors.
Why This Matters?
The failed takedown shows that clamping down on websites and channels is only a first step. Criminal networks now use layered, distributed systems.
They can shrug off public pressure and keep moving funds. Fighting these operations will need deeper strategies. Regulators and law enforcement agencies must target the whole architecture.
Huione’s rebound after its closure highlights the limits of current enforcement. Unless authorities tackle the hidden plumbing of these markets, they will keep thriving.
The case of Huione calls for new tools and cooperation worldwide. That may be the only way to choke off the money flows that fuel crime online.
Also Read: U.S. Broadens Crypto Crime Probe With 12 New Indictments For $263M crypto scheme