Darkweb Informer’s recent report of a software hack highlights a significant shift in the use of cryptocurrencies on the darkweb, with a threat actor demanding Monero (XMR) as the sole payment method for selling hacked source code and data of Devolver Digital’s Baby Steps game. This marks a broader trend where Monero has increasingly replaced Bitcoin in darkweb markets due to Bitcoin’s traceability and lack of privacy, which has led to numerous arrests and dismantling of criminal networks. Monero’s superior privacy features, like ring signatures and stealth addresses, make it much harder to track, positioning it as the preferred cryptocurrency in privacy-focused environments. This shift underscores a “true flippening” in the cryptocurrency world, where Monero has supplanted Bitcoin in the most decentralized, censorship-resistant applications, a trend largely ignored by mainstream media and analysts.
BTC has Been Almost Totally Abandoned in Unregulated Markets
Darkweb Informer recently reported a significant incident in which a threat actor demanded Monero (XMR) as the exclusive payment method for the hacked source code, data, and builds of Devolver Digital’s upcoming platformer game, Baby Steps, for Steam and PS5. The attacker, using the alias “EnergyWeaponUser,” has set the price at $50,000, refusing to accept Bitcoin or any other currency. This shift to Monero as the only accepted cryptocurrency highlights a growing trend on darkweb markets that have almost entirely moved away from Bitcoin due to its lack of privacy and ease of traceability, which has led to several arrests and the dismantling of many criminal networks.
Bitcoin, once considered the go-to currency for darkweb transactions due to its early association with anonymity, has been exposed as highly vulnerable to surveillance. Blockchain analysis firms have developed sophisticated tools for tracking Bitcoin transactions, often leading law enforcement directly to the individuals behind illicit activities. This has resulted in a significant number of arrests, with authorities tracing transactions back to their source. The growing use of Monero in these circles underscores its superior privacy features, as Monero’s cryptographic design makes it much harder to track or trace transactions, providing a level of anonymity that Bitcoin simply cannot offer.
The shift to Monero is not just a practical move for threat actors but also a symbolic one, marking a fundamental change in the cryptocurrency landscape. While Bitcoin is still touted in mainstream media and by financial analysts as a tool for censorship resistance and financial freedom, the darkweb’s near-total abandonment of BTC in favor of Monero paints a very different picture. Monero, with its inherent privacy-enhancing features like ring signatures and stealth addresses, has supplanted Bitcoin in environments where privacy and anonymity are paramount—especially in the world’s most decentralized and unregulated markets.
This shift can be seen as the “true flippening” in the cryptocurrency world, not in market capitalization, but in relevance within privacy-focused and censorship-resistant applications. Monero’s rise on the darkweb signifies its importance as the currency of choice for individuals and groups who require anonymity for their transactions, contrasting sharply with Bitcoin’s diminished role in these sectors. This trend has largely been ignored by media outlets and analysts, who continue to push the narrative of Bitcoin as the primary tool for financial freedom, despite the overwhelming evidence that its privacy shortcomings have rendered it obsolete in the world’s most anonymous marketplaces.
In the case of Baby Steps, the fact that the hackers are demanding Monero specifically speaks volumes about the current state of privacy in digital transactions. As more individuals and organizations turn to Monero for privacy, it highlights how the broader cryptocurrency ecosystem is shifting away from the early days of Bitcoin as a countercultural tool for financial autonomy. Monero’s rise marks a significant development in the evolution of privacy in the digital age, showing that true privacy remains a critical concern for those operating in both legitimate and illicit spheres.
This development on the darkweb reinforces the fact that Bitcoin is no longer seen as the ultimate privacy tool in many circles. The increased adoption of Monero on these platforms emphasizes its growing role in the cryptocurrency space as the more resilient, censorship-resistant currency, and a necessary tool for those who operate outside the regulated financial systems. It also challenges the prevailing narratives in the cryptocurrency industry, underscoring the need for a broader discussion about what true financial privacy means in a world increasingly focused on surveillance and control.
