Catenaa, Wednesday, March 05, 2025-The US Treasury Department on Tuesday sanctioned 49 cryptocurrency addresses linked to the now-defunct Nemesis darknet marketplace, accusing its alleged administrator of facilitating illicit transactions.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) identified 44 Bitcoin and five Monero addresses tied to Iranian national Behrouz Parsarad, who allegedly ran Nemesis before it was shut down in 2024. The platform reportedly had 30,000 active users and facilitated nearly $30 million in drug sales over three years.
Authorities say Parsarad profited by charging transaction fees and laundering virtual currencies for cybercriminals and narcotics traffickers.
“Parsarad enriched himself from fees he charged users of Nemesis with every transaction, pocketing what OFAC estimates to be millions of dollars,” the agency stated.
Nemesis sold illicit drugs, stolen data, forged documents and cybercrime tools, including phishing kits and ransomware. The sanctions are reportedly tied to an executive order aimed at combating the fentanyl trade.
Parsarad has not been apprehended, and officials claim he has discussed launching a new darknet marketplace with former vendors.
The US has taken action against multiple darknet markets in recent years.
In 2022, authorities shut down Hydra Market in what was considered the largest darknet bust since Silk Road’s closure.
