| dc.description.abstract | The dark web provides both buyers and sellers with anonymous, untraceable marketplaces for online person-to-person transactions, henceforth referred to as cryptomarkets. This study will focus on the first major cryptomarket, Silk Road, as no other cryptomarket has achieved similar stability in combination with as long of a lifespan, suggesting that it is the best source of data of a well-functioning cryptomarket. Cryptomarkets have security measures in place that are aimed at protecting buyers from sellers, as the anonymous environment may incentivize sellers to behave opportunistically. One of these measures is the reputation system, like one would find on most legal marketplaces as well. These reputation systems exist to replicate the trust-based mechanisms on which real life interactions are based. Good behavior from sellers is encouraged, because opportunistic behavior may lead to negative feedback, which may impact the likelihood of other buyers interacting with that seller. However, multiple ways in which sellers are able to circumvent these measures to fraudulently earn money have been identified. This study analyses data acquired from both the Silk Road marketplace itself, as well as the Silk Road forums, in an attempt to identify characteristics of the sellers that behave opportunistically despite the preventive measures in place. Multiple linear regression models were used to test the effects of amount of sales, forum activity and the interaction between these two on the likelihood of a seller behaving opportunistically. It was found that the amount of sales a seller has, has a significantly positive effect on the likelihood of said seller behaving opportunistically, although this effect is smaller for sellers that are more active on the forums. This research has however not been able to identify a profile of opportunistic sellers, which is something further research could look into, using this study as a place to start. | |
