Level: MA 
Responsible Person: Dr. Nicolò Vallarano
Keywords: Crypto-forensics, Bitcoin, Network Science 

Dark Web marketplaces are websites where users can exchange a wide variety of goods, often including illegal items, with Bitcoin serving as the primary currency. Due to Bitcoin's open-source nature, a significant amount of transaction data is available for analysis. 

The goal of this project is to identify and characterize communities of dark web users based on their transaction patterns. The ideal candidate for this project should have a solid understanding of network formation models and possess practical data analysis skills. These skills are essential for managing the large datasets involved and applying theoretical models of Bitcoin diffusion within and beyond these marketplaces. 

References: 

• E. F. dos Reis, A. Teytelboym, A. ElBahrawy, I. De Loizaga, and A. Baronchelli, “Identifying key players in dark web marketplaces through Bitcoin transaction networks,” Sci Rep, vol. 14, no. 1, Art. no. 1, Jan. 2024, doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-50409-5. 
• A. Bracci, J. Boehnke, A. ElBahrawy, N. Perra, A. Teytelboym, and A. Baronchelli, “Macroscopic properties of buyer–seller networks in online marketplaces,” PNAS Nexus, vol. 1, no. 4, p. pgac201, Sep. 2022, doi: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac201.