American Kingpin by Nick Bilton
10 out of 10Wow! What an interesting and well-told true crime detective story. In 2011, using encryption protocol and bitcoin monetary exchange, a young affable guy named Ross Ulbricht created the Silk Road website where drugs, weapons, organs, and just about anything else could be bought and sold. Two years later, the site had totaled over $1 billion dollars in transactions and roughly $80 million in commissions (₿ c 2013). At that time, various law enforcement agencies closed in on Ross. He was arrested, sentenced to life in prison, the site was shut down and all assets were forfeited.
Someone could legitimately see most activities on the dark web as being worthy of punishment by authorities. Another person might view it as free individuals trying to operate outside of a system in which they want no part. A third person could see it as a safer alternative to a dangerous offline black market.