For example, “I just traveled to Argentina — and doubled my money with a ‘black market’ exchange rate” and “Argentines turn to black market dollars as crisis worsens” The current crisis that is currently happening is the high inflation rates. Argentina has been greatly cut off from the international debt markets since its default which had happened almost four years ago- 2020. The integration of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Monero remains a cornerstone of these platforms. Bitcoin, with its widespread adoption, offers a balance between accessibility and security, while Monero provides enhanced privacy features, making it the preferred choice for users prioritizing anonymity. These currencies enable seamless cross-border transactions without the need for intermediaries, reducing costs and increasing efficiency. As these markets continue to grow, they are likely to incorporate even more sophisticated features, such as AI-driven recommendations and enhanced security protocols.
Inflation Woes
These days one dollar gets its bearer about 236 pesos at the unofficial or “blue rate,” instead of 130 at an official currency exchange. As the name implies, the dark web is considered to be dangerous and shady, which is true to some extent as dealing with illegal drugs and doing illicit activities is very common on the dark web. At Cybernod, we specialize in providing cybersecurity services for businesses, designed to protect SMEs from the ever-evolving cyber landscape. Whether you need assistance with dark web monitoring, compliance with data protection regulations, or advice on selecting the best cybersecurity solution for small businesses, our team is here to help. In 2021, a small marketing firm experienced a devastating data breach after employee login credentials were compromised and sold on a dark web marketplace.
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Illicit goods, like arms and drugs, are often hidden amongst and moved with the huge flux of licit cargo that traverses this hub. Furthermore, there is a huge diversity in the OCGs involved with trafficking in this region. Some are local or regional players while others have global reach, either independently or via alliances forged with global mafias and mafia-like groups. However, the PCC’s alliance with groups like the Italian ‘Ndrangheta has not only allowed it to consolidate its hold over the cocaine market in Brazil and the TBA but also expand its reach and presence into Africa, Europe and beyond.
The darknet is used for anonymous communication, accessing censored information, and protecting privacy. You can access it for legitimate purposes like whistleblowing and freedom of expression. However, it’s also used for illegal activities like drug trafficking, weapon sales, and stolen data trading.
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Even after this, and withstanding exhaustive line-ups, one can still be denied American money, or be given hardly enough to cover a bus fare. In order to get the prized foreign currency, locals must jump through several hurdles to prove their dedication to the cause. Of course, this is just one factor that might feed into runaway prices in Argentina.
While many criminal organizations, mafias, mafia-like groups and other illicit actors have ties to/or presence in the TBA, their existence, reach and capabilities are tremendously dynamic, and ebb and flow with time and changes in broader patters of illicit flows. In all cases, the relationships between different groups—of alliance or competition—are also opportunistic and vary over time. Turf-wars between rival factions are common, with the result that the cities and towns on all sides of the TBA are characterized by some of the highest homicide rates, both in their respective countries and the region more generally. This way, it maintains an unprecedented spread of 20 pesos with the buy rate, reflecting the uncertainty that has been triggered by Sunday’s surprise election result. The same behavior was reflected in the blue-chip financial dollar rate, known locally as the “contado con liquidación”, which was rising 7% to ARS$646.5. We do not engage with darknet markets; our mission is exclusively dedicated to providing information for research and educational purposes.
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This blend of humor and finance not only entertains but also educates, potentially drawing in retail investors and stabilizing prices amid global economic uncertainties. Launched in 2023, STYX focuses on financial crime, providing stolen credit card data, hacked bank accounts and access to various cryptocurrency laundering tools. One article even stated that foreigners/tourists have been using the market to double their funds.
Compare this to the US inflation rate of 1.5% and you can understand how blown out it is. The equivalent of US$ 80 billion has been withdrawn from savings accounts over the last 5 years. In total, about US$ 160 billion of undeclared cash is estimated to be floating around the country. The current blue rate is 9.40 ARS for 1.00 USD, opposed to the much lower government-regulated 5.85 ARS for 1.00 USD. For over a decade, Argentinians have hit the streets in order to get their hands on the coveted American currency.
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- Bitcoin remains the primary currency for transactions, providing a seamless and secure payment method.
- For example, cocaine moves across Brazil to its key seaports from not only the TBA but from all the regions bordering Bolivia, Peru and Colombia.
- Furthermore, there is a huge diversity in the OCGs involved with trafficking in this region.
- This means that the servers providing these services are only accessible via Tor and do not have a public IP address or domain name.
Crypto allows them to move their money around from within Argentina, rather than having to use an intermediary in another country. This can save them trips to Estonia, the US, or wherever they would’ve had to open their bank accounts. However, overseas accounts remain out of reach for many people — setting up bank accounts abroad generally requires traveling there, which is expensive and time-consuming.
Where To Buy Argentinian Pesos
In addition to the above-mentioned issues, de Andrés put particular emphasis on links between South American criminal networks and Islamic terrorist organizations. “The Argentine saves in dollars and when a crisis hits, he sells. He will never regain confidence in the peso,” another arbolito told AFP. In Buenos Aires, cafes and shops display the rate at which they give change for clients paying in dollars. “In bi-monetary societies like Argentina, where the dollar is the reference and… reserve of value, people save in dollars,” said economist Andres Wainer of the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences. Goods vendor Marcela Leiron said that “like an ant” collects food, she buys dollars, “from $20 to $50 per month, as much as I can.” “Dollars! Change, change, doooolars!” The cries of unofficial money changers follow tourists, but also locals, down the streets of central Buenos Aires’ office district.
In some cases, established sellers on closed-down markets are welcomed onto new markets as digital “refugees” and have joining fees waived. Despite the fact Archetyp had clearly raised the bar on security on the dark web, Operation Deep Sentinel—a collaborative effort between law enforcement agencies in six countries supported by Europol and Eurojust—took down the market. In the first arc of the anime series Lupin the 3rd Part V, Lupin III steals digital currency from the “Marco Polo” darknet market. One of the central76 discussion forums was Reddit’s /r/DarkNetMarkets/,777879 which has been the subject of legal investigation, as well as the Tor-based discussion forum, The Hub. To access darknets, users typically need to download and configure the Tor Browser; a modified version of Mozilla Firefox that routes all traffic through the Tor network. This browser enables access to websites with .onion domain extensions, which are specific to the Tor network.
Given the explosive growth of these markets, organizations must prioritize proactive threat monitoring. Axis Intelligence provides dark web surveillance solutions that help businesses identify leaked credentials, fraud attempts, and malware risks before they escalate. A Canadian market established in 2021, WTN offers over 9,000 products, including narcotics, fake goods, and digital services. Believe it or not, some dark web marketplaces have pretty advanced systems for building trust.
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These platforms leverage advanced encryption technologies, such as Tor and onion routing, to ensure that transactions remain private and untraceable. The integration of multi-signature escrow systems further minimizes risks, ensuring that funds are released only when both parties are satisfied. In 2025, the darknet continues to provide a secure platform for the exchange of goods, with drug trade being one of its most prominent sectors.
This rate is set by underground exchange houses operating on the black market.” A tourist said. When getting the normal exchange rate in Argentina as a tourist, it is normally 190 pesos, but with the blue dollar, it is double that. Argentina’s infamous “blue chip” or black market dollar exchange rate – known locally as “dólar blue” has served as a fear gauge over the past few decades. At least since the latest batch of currency controls were put in place, first by Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, temporarily suspended and later redeployed by Mauricio Macri, and later extended by both Alberto Fernández and Javier Milei until the recent IMF deal. But it has always retained certain forecasting capabilities, particularly when Argentina gets out of control.
Anyone who wants to save more cash in U.S. dollars must turn to the black market, which sets the “blue dollar” exchange rate. To safeguard sensitive information, businesses must adopt comprehensive cybersecurity strategies, including regular risk assessments, security gap analyses, and the deployment of tools like dark web monitoring. These measures not only help identify vulnerabilities but also enable swift action to mitigate threats before they escalate. Investing in robust cybersecurity solutions tailored to your organization’s needs is no longer optional; it is essential to ensure operational continuity and maintain stakeholder trust. This incident underscores why dark web monitoring is essential to prevent data breaches for small businesses.
