US Treasury Blacklists 49 Crypto Addresses Tied to Nemesis Darknet Market

Highlights:

• The U.S. has sanctioned an Iranian national for running a darknet site that was used to sell drugs.
• Authorities seized Nemesis and stopped over $30 million in illegal drug transactions.
• Parsarad reached out to former vendors to try to rebuild the platform after it was shut down.

The U.S. Department of Treasury has sanctioned Iranian national Behrouz Parsarad for his alleged connection to the darknet marketplace Nemesis. Authorities have blocklisted 49 crypto addresses linked to him. The sanctions were under a broader crackdown on illicit online markets by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The move follows an international operation that dismantled Nemesis earlier this year.

🚨 US Treasury blacklists 49 Bitcoin and Monero addresses linked to Nemesis darknet marketplace.

The crypto world is buzzing after the US Treasury took aim at an Iranian national linked to the notorious Nemesis darknet marketplace. Behrouz Parsarad has been blacklisted, with… pic.twitter.com/a6hoiHTezR

— Blockman (@blockmandev) March 5, 2025

According to OFAC, the platform ran for 3 years, where it operated as a digital black market for cybercriminals. The platform had money laundering features built into it to allow users to hide their transactions.

According to authorities, Parsarad profited off of the transaction fees that users paid. The goal of the sanctions is to restrict his financial activity as well as his access to darknet marketplaces.
OFAC also sanctioned Hydra Market, another major darknet marketplace. At the time, German authorities confiscated approximately €23 million worth of Bitcoin from Hydra. In recent years, similar actions have been taken against other darknet markets.

A Hub for Illegal Drug Trade and Cybercrime

Drug traffickers and cybercriminals used Nemesis to conduct illegal transactions. They used it to sell fentanyl and fake documents. According to reports, the platform had over 150,000 registered users and more than 1,100 vendors.

The platform users utilized coins like Bitcoin and Monero to remain anonymous. Authorities estimate that at least $30 million worth of drugs were sold on the platform.

Law enforcement officials describe Nemesis as one of the major players in the darknet economy. To avoid detection from authorities, the platform utilized encrypted channels such as the Tor network. The investigations have also uncovered a link between Nemesis vendors and Chinese drug precursor manufacturers.

An analysis of the blockchain noted that Nemesis sent funds directly to the suppliers. The platform also served as a market where people could hire hackers to break into online accounts and steal sensitive data.

Parsarad was in charge of all the financial and technical operations of the platform. According to reports, his Bitcoin wallets received more than $850,000 in money from illegal sources. Investigators also found out that he transferred over $1.6 million in cryptocurrency. According to Chainalysis, Parsarad also moved funds to other darknet markets, such as ASAP, Incognito, and Next Generation.

Authorities Work to Prevent Revival

Despite shutting down Nemesis, authorities believe that Parsarad tried to launch a new darknet marketplace. According to reports, he had reached out to former vendors to rebuild the platform. Nemesis was brought down with help from U.S., German, and Lithuanian authorities. The FBI and the DEA were among the agencies involved in the operation.

The OFAC imposed sanctions under Executive Order 14059, which is designed to combat drug trafficking networks. The penalties mean that Parsarad can no longer access US financial systems, and the U.S. has barred its own companies from doing business with him.