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The United States and Germany have slapped sanctions on the Hydra marketplace, said to
be among the largest darknet platforms in the world, with Berlin shutting down servers
belonging to the Russia-based site while seizing millions of dollars in proceeds.
“Our actions send a message today to criminals that you cannot hide on the darknet or
their forums, and you cannot hide in Russia or anywhere else in the world,”Treasury
Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement, adding that Washington “will continue to
disrupt these networks” alongside allies like Germany and Estonia.
“Analysis of known Garantex transactions shows that over $100 million in transactions are
associated with illicit actors and darknet markets,” it continued, saying this includes $2.6
million from Hydra.
The Treasury voiced hopes that the penalties would “further cut off avenues for potential
sanctions evasion”by targeted Russian citizens, as the US and a long list of Western allies
retaliate following Moscow’s attack on Ukraine with a wave of punitive measures.