The way darknet actors coordinate has undergone a dramatic shift in the past decade. Once dominated by cloistered IRC channels and hidden .onion forums, the conversation has now moved to mainstream messaging platforms. Today, Telegram channels, bot networks, and private groups have become the default infrastructure for criminal coordination. This shift has not only reshaped how operations are run but also how law enforcement approaches surveillance and takedowns.
From IRC to Telegram: The Long Arc of Darknet Communication
Internet Relay Chat (IRC) was once the nerve centre of early cybercrime. Groups used password-protected channels to trade exploits, stolen data, and malware kits. But as operations scaled, IRC’s static architecture and lack of mobile adoption left it vulnerable. The torch passed to dedicated darknet forums, often on the Tor network, which allowed marketplaces and vendor reputation systems to emerge. Yet by the mid-2020s, Telegram had absorbed much of this activity. Its mobile-first design, ease of channel creation, and semi-anonymous architecture made it an attractive choice for actors who needed speed and reach more than secrecy.
This migration highlights a key paradox: while the darknet has historically thrived in obscurity, today’s operators increasingly prefer platforms that blend into mainstream usage. Telegram provides that cover, allowing illicit activity to hide in plain sight among millions of legitimate users.
Case Study: Hydra Market’s Migration to Telegram
The collapse of Hydra Market in 2022, once responsible for over 80 percent of darknet market traffic and more than $5 billion in lifetime turnover, created a vacuum. When law enforcement seized Hydra’s servers, displaced vendors and customers turned to Telegram. Within weeks, Hydra-branded channels appeared offering drugs, stolen data, and counterfeit documents. Researchers tracking these groups noted that Telegram’s broadcast and bot features allowed operators to recreate the functionality of darknet forums almost overnight. Law enforcement in Russia and Germany confirmed that Hydra affiliates were using Telegram bots to automate sales, effectively replicating market infrastructure in a mobile app.
This evolution demonstrated the resilience of darknet communities. Instead of disappearing, Hydra’s network simply adapted to a new medium, underscoring the difficulty of suppressing illicit commerce with infrastructure takedowns alone.
Case Study: Genesis Market and Telegram Broker Networks
When the FBI and Europol announced the takedown of Genesis Market in 2023, a site known for selling digital fingerprints, many expected demand to dissipate; instead, buyers and sellers regrouped on Telegram. According to researchers, hundreds of micro-markets sprang up in private channels. Analysts noted that Telegram enabled a shift toward decentralised “broker networks,” where smaller groups coordinated sales of Genesis-style data. This decentralised model makes it far more challenging to target with a single operation.
The Genesis migration revealed the adaptability of cybercriminal ecosystems. Where one marketplace collapses, Telegram facilitates dozens of replacements, each with lower visibility and faster growth curves.
Detection Vectors and Law Enforcement Response
Telegram’s strengths are also its weaknesses. Open discovery of channels, bot usage, and transaction logging provides vectors for disruption. In 2024, Europol reported seizing more than 200 illicit Telegram channels tied to malware distribution and darknet fraud. Security researchers have also demonstrated how metadata, bot code, and payment addresses associated with these groups can be traced with standard OSINT techniques.
Law enforcement has increasingly partnered with platform providers. In mid-2024, Telegram confirmed cooperation with European authorities to remove clusters linked to ransomware extortion leaks. While takedowns rarely eliminate operations, they force constant churn and reduce the longevity of large-scale hubs. For defenders, monitoring communication platforms has become as important as tracking marketplaces themselves.
The State of Darknet Communications in 2025
The evolution from IRC to Telegram represents more than just a shift in tools, it signals a transformation in how cybercrime infiltrates daily digital life. Criminals no longer retreat to hidden enclaves; they co-opt mainstream platforms. This trend will likely accelerate, with future coordination tools mirroring the usability of legitimate apps like Slack or Discord, but weaponised for fraud, ransomware, and data theft.
For red teamers and defenders, the lesson is clear: visibility into communication channels is as important as monitoring technical indicators. For policymakers, the question is whether platforms like Telegram can maintain their user base while avoiding being defined by criminal activity. In 2025, the darknet is not a place, it is a behaviour, increasingly interwoven with everyday apps.