...Abstract In this chapter, I unpack the sociotechnical frontier of Web3, anchoring its analysis in the historical intertwining of computational histories and cryptographic cultures. It explores the case study of cryptomarkets to illustrate the originating culture of a laissez-faire-valuing techno...

... the resilience and growth of digital drug markets. It also goes beyond a concern with just one type of digital drug market into wider forms of digital environments. Illicit drug markets digital transformation embeddedness cryptomarkets social media surface web This book is about the recent and ongoing...

...Abstract The growth in cryptomarkets has reinvigorated the research on illicit drug distribution due to the availability of large-scale data. This data has enabled researchers to ask new and detailed questions about how participants in these markets trust each other enough for the market...

...Abstract Cryptomarkets have expanded rapidly since the launch of Silk Road in 2011, offering a significant new mode for the sale and distribution of illicit drugs. One of the key questions accompanying the proliferation of cryptomarkets and online drug distribution concerns how these unique online...

...Abstract This chapter examines how darknet drug marketplaces operate within platform capitalism. While capitalist power relations remain underexplored in research on digital drug markets, the analysis shows that the basic foundation of cryptomarkets relies on the infrastructure of platform...

...While these features exist in real-life drug networks, cryptomarkets work differently, creating new entrepreneurial opportunities. An important feature of a cryptomarket is that it acts as a third party, providing a platform for exchange. In this way, it allows users to implement technical...