Dark History of Silk Road
How did the Silk Road become the world's most infamous dark web market?
4.7 (15)
56 mins
Uncover the rise and fall of the infamous online marketplace that transformed the global drug trade. Discover how hidden networks, cryptocurrency, and a mysterious mastermind created one of the internet's darkest chapters.
Ep 1:
The Eagle Scout Who Built an Empire
An idealistic physics grad with libertarian dreams turns magic mushrooms and Bitcoin into the internet's most notorious drug marketplace, aided by a mysterious mentor who gives him a pirate's name.
Ep 2:
Blood Money and Fake Murders
As Silk Road explodes, corrupt federal agents secretly steal fortunes and stage a fake execution, while Dread Pirate Roberts is conned into paying for murders that never actually happened.
Ep 3:
The Google Search That Cracked Everything
A methodical IRS agent's clever Google search, an encrypted server in Iceland, and a leaked IP address converge to unmask the true identity behind Dread Pirate Roberts.
Ep 4:
The Library, The Handcuffs, The Verdict
Federal agents spring an elaborate trap inside a public library, ending Ross Ulbricht's empire in seconds—setting the stage for a trial, a brutal sentence, and Silk Road's lasting legacy.
Discussions (5)
Monty
Level 4 · 4 mo agoRoss went from Eagle Scout debating Big Macs in college to ordering five murders that never happened. The distance between who he started as and who he became is genuinely staggering.
Everett
Level 9 · 4 mo ago20% drug users online? Doubt it
Darryl
Level 5 · 4 mo agoThe podcast says Tor was developed by the US Navy. That checks out. The Onion Router was created by DARPA and the Naval Research Laboratory in the mid 90s for secure government communications before going public.
