What is the Silk Road?

The Silk Road refers to the infamous online marketplace that existed on the Dark Web, often described as an "Amazon for illegal stuff." It gained notoriety for the sale of drugs, fake IDs, hacking services, and other illicit items in exchange for Bitcoin. The Silk Road was created by Ross Ulbricht, also known by his pseudonym "Dread Pirate Roberts." Despite having some rules, like no weapons or child pornography, the site hosted various illegal transactions. Ulbricht was eventually given two life sentences after his platform was shut down by law enforcement agencies 1.

It's important to note that there might be some confusion with historical references. The term "Silk Road" is also used to describe ancient trade routes between China and the Mediterranean, but in this context, it refers specifically to the online marketplace and not historical trade networks.