We just posted this on DNM Avengers. Here's the text for our .onion - challenged readers. It is our response to a new vendor's question, "what's the best market to set up shop for 2016?" The Grand Wizard would be interested in hearing what others had to say on the subject.
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In terms of traffic AlphaBay is our biggest market: we're doing around 2/3 of our business there with the other 1/3 divided across our other stores. We're not impressed by the constant drama swirling around AB, but we note that most of the complainants appear reluctant to try any other market. So we stay there through necessity: ITGWE if you're looking to make a living out of this, you will probably need an AlphaBay shop.
The Grand Wizard has been very impressed by Hansa so far. It has become our #2 market with very little fanfare simply by offering solid service and safe, easy to use multisig. Its 2-of-2 escrow is no more complicated for buyers than the old model and considerably more resistant to hackers and cops. They may have finally created the transparent multisig implementation we've been waiting for: we certainly expect them to rise to or near the top in the present Battle Royale of the DNMs.
We have been doing surprising trade on Oasis. Last we checked 7%-10% of Oasis' transactions were done at GWL Oasis -- we're a big and fabulously sparkly fish in that small pond! They are running on a donations-only model right now. We do not believe that to be sustainable in the long term and would urge them to consider rolling out a commission-based model. Whatever they do, we are quite impressed so far.
Valhalla, like Oasis, has a rather minimalist interface. It started out as a Finnish market and later expanded to the rest of the world. We've done modest business there so far -- and note we get more customers on less-trafficked Hansa and Oasis than on far busier markets like Valhalla and Dream -- but we don't see things going anywhere but up.
ITGWO, DHL is the most attractive market on the darknets right now: their layout is beautiful and easy to use. We haven't had a sale there yet but we just opened so that's not surprising. Once we have done some business there we'll let you know how we feel about their BIP32 implementation. If you're interested in setting up shop on DHL you may have to wait a while: ITGWRC they closed vendor registrations a week or so ago.
DHL is beautiful: Outlaw... well, its interface is unique. It reminds the Grand Wizard of an emo fansite on Geocities c. 1997. They have a solid back-end and a decent selection of vendors. Their support has been incredibly helpful and responsive: more tech-oriented friends say their security is top-notch. Given as how they started up in the days of SR2 they certainly have a history. It's a shame so many people are put off by their aesthetic: there's a really good book inside that garish eyesore of a cover.
We are starting to do more business on Dream. Since they don't have multisig GWL Dream is an FE-only shop, but so far that arrangement has worked for us. Dream gets good traffic and has an impressive selection of vendors. If you insist on multisig Dream isn't for you, but if you are flexible we would definitely recommend giving them a look.
We don't have a Nucleus shop but are thinking about opening there. Depending on whom you ask they are presently either the #1 or #2 DNM, and while they had a rocky start we haven't heard a lot of Nucleus drama of late -- certainly nothing like the shitstorm that always swirls around AlphaBay. We love our customers and will gladly open up shop anywhere they want to give us their money.
Right now there is an excess of riches insofar as marketplaces go. AB and Nucleus are clearly among the top tier insofar as traffic and vendor selection. But there are few clear leaders among the surviving markets. We're active on six markets other than AlphaBay and each could conceivably rise to the top in the wake of another shakeup. In this climate multiple storefronts are advisable. You can always go into vacation mode if you're overwhelmed: you may not be able to open a new shop in the wake of another 5 November.
I've approved this for you GWL, sorry it got caught up in automod.