The Underground Economy Online

These sites don’t sell just drugs. They also traffic in porn, counterfeit money, untaxed cigarettes, and tools for hackers and thieves. There are some legal items, too, including a trove of acid art.

The Internet makes it very easy to buy illegal goods online — especially thanks to alternative currencies like Bitcoin which hackers are trying to make untraceable. The Verge takes a look at some of the big sites out there, but for anyone who is curious about buying anything from there: fair warning that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency is currently conducting an investigation.

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