How much daily transaction volume does The Silk Road see?

[andrewbadr]

Does anyone have an estimate of TSR's transaction volume? As the most visible part of the Bitcoin economy, tracking this could help predict the BTC exchange rate.

[joulesbeef]

I'm betting gambling does more

anyways, it isnt like SR is going to make that info easy to find, why would they?

[phungus]

The Silk Road is probably not one of the "bigger" forums, there are others that have been out for much longer, and that have better, more reputable clientele. Most of the good forums are invite only.

SilkRoad got a lot of publicity but I would never actually use the site just because of how public they are and you need to give up your shipping address to someone you can't be sure about.


Some people were just busted in Indiana for selling LSD and MDMA on another site. This site isn't half as public as Silk Road is but the feds still stung them.

Be safe.

[andrewbadr]

anyways, it isnt like SR is going to make that info easy to find, why would they?

They don't have to, someone could crawl it. In fact, I'd bet someone is.

[FreeMoney]

This is interesting to me. I thought I heard they stopped taking new customers and merchants, this is not the case?

[Blackout]

I can confirm that a friend tried silk road and got what he ordered.  I myself was surprised.
The question is what is stopping some government agency from creating an account, creating fake buyers,
buying up to get a 100 rep, and then targeting all addresses that buy?

Money I suppose.  Is the FBI really going to waste time sending an agent to someone's house who bought a few tabs of blotter worth under $50?  The pay for the agent is so much more the economics don't work out.  Also, if one followed the rules one would not send to one's primary residence and not to their name, and there would be no way to prosecute since anyone can mail you anything and this does not prove you ordered it.  Again - to go into the manpower involved in the digital forensics would ONLY be worthy for some HUGE purchase or shipment, not a small order.

NOTE: All the above is fictional discussion.

[gamer4156]

The main reason that you pointed out is your address alone is not enough to give them a warrant for arrest. If so I could just buy stuff and give the seller the address of someone I hate. Just because your address was given to someone to send drugs to does not mean that that person actually bought the drugs. Also if you get on the forums there are reputable members that new sellers send their stuff to to try it out. So if some FBI account set up an account very few people would purchase from that new seller without some reputable members giving good reviews.

[Minsc]

Someone said they only use stamps as postage, not stuff bought where they can track the purchases.  And they just put it in an envelope without a return address.

[ampirebus]

Someone said they only use stamps as postage, not stuff bought where they can track the purchases.  And they just put it in an envelope without a return address.

every package mailed w/o a return address is immediately flagged to be seized/checked... SR has strict rules about how to mail your packages. IE not hand writing labels and using printed ones. SR provides tracking for escrow and they dont just use stamps... i suggest read more about it b/c everything you heard is completely wrong

think of it this way. if im mailing a package and i put a fake name sent to an address which only recieves mail for "reginald p. winklebottom" and i write "i. c. weiner" as the recipient , the postman/post office is going to see that and wonder why mail is coming to someone whose never been registered at that address. SR mails packages to recipients under their real names or the real name of an at least past occupant of said PObox/addy

NOTE: All the above is fictional discussion.

[rebuilder]

I'm confused, you're making this all sound so complex. What's to stop someone from using, say, poste restante for deliveries?

[davout]

I'm confused, you're making this all sound so complex. What's to stop someone from using, say, poste restante for deliveries?

Because that makes the receiver vulnerable.
If they go pick a package up at a post office they can't claim it was mailed to them without their knowledge in case the cops are also at the post office.

[rebuilder]

If they go pick a package up at a post office they can't claim it was mailed to them without their knowledge in case the cops are also at the post office.

True, but the risk would seem pretty low to me unless you're buying something that warrants the police staking the post office out for two weeks or however long they hold unclaimed parcels.

[davout]

the police staking the post office out for two weeks or however long they hold unclaimed parcels.

this is a cheap price to pay to make an example

[Blackout]

If they go pick a package up at a post office they can't claim it was mailed to them without their knowledge in case the cops are also at the post office.

True, but the risk would seem pretty low to me unless you're buying something that warrants the police staking the post office out for two weeks or however long they hold unclaimed parcels.

That's not the point.  The point is that IF using this method for something you shouldn't be mailing (which of course you would never do)

#1 it looks more suspicious
#2 makes you absolutely liable because you go and provide identity and sign for the parcel

Bad news bears all around.

[rebuilder]

That's not the point.  The point is that IF using this method for something you shouldn't be mailing (which of course you would never do)

#1 it looks more suspicious
#2 makes you absolutely liable because you go and provide identity and sign for the parcel

Bad news bears all around.

You're right on #1, as for #2, where do they ask for ID or signatures for poste restante mail? Here at least, people can say they have mail for Mickey Mouse for all the postal office cares, give the right name, they'll give you any mail that's arrived under it.

[mb300sd]

Why does picking up a package make it more suspicious? I order things off ebay that ship internationally and forget about them all the time. 3 months later I get a little notice in my mail that says I have a package, by that time I usually have no idea what I've received, but I go to pick it up anyway, whats to prove that package wasn't sent to me without my knowledge?

[davout]

Why does picking up a package make it more suspicious? I order things off ebay that ship internationally and forget about them all the time. 3 months later I get a little notice in my mail that says I have a package, by that time I usually have no idea what I've received, but I go to pick it up anyway, whats to prove that package wasn't sent to me without my knowledge?

Hmm, okay i'll spell it out... slowly... if you pick a package up, it shows you ordered it.

If you get a package in your mailbox containing drugs the police will not be able to prove that you ordered it, someone could have mailed it to you with malicious intent.

If you pick a package up from the post office at a "poste restante" it makes it clear that :
 - you were expecting the package
 - you took steps to hide the link between the package and you

[Blackout]

Basically, if you are going to engage in ordering something I would follow the guidelines and send it to a real address you have access to not somewhere you have to sign and pick it up. It works and is fairly safe for small amounts of things and the worst  and more realistic case scenario would be that it would get confiscated in the middle and you just don't get what you ordered and lose a few btc, not some sting operation for a minuscule amount, if you're not silly and order some ridiculous amount of something - if that's the case go move to Portugal where everything is legal.

Let me state again that I am not endorsing using silk road, but I like the idea of freedom.

I support individuals right to freedom and don't think drugs should be criminalized, especially non addictive or psychedelic shamanic ones.  It is a constant amusement to me that alcohol is legal and pot and mushrooms are illegal. That all these deadly anti-depressants and benzos are legal yet sacred plants that can help you are illegal.  I don't even smoke but I can see that it clearly should be legal.  I've been attacked or annoyed by a nutty drunkard plenty of times but really, when has a stoner ever done anything violent other than maybe eat all of your snacks?




 

[mb300sd]

Why does picking up a package make it more suspicious? I order things off ebay that ship internationally and forget about them all the time. 3 months later I get a little notice in my mail that says I have a package, by that time I usually have no idea what I've received, but I go to pick it up anyway, whats to prove that package wasn't sent to me without my knowledge?

Hmm, okay i'll spell it out... slowly... if you pick a package up, it shows you ordered it.

If you get a package in your mailbox containing drugs the police will not be able to prove that you ordered it, someone could have mailed it to you with malicious intent.

If you pick a package up from the post office at a "poste restante" it makes it clear that :
 - you were expecting the package
 - you took steps to hide the link between the package and you

So, someone ships me drugs without my knowledge, I receive a notice in my mailbox that I have a package, I assume its an ebay package and go pick it up. Somehow there is proof that I ordered drugs?

[Blackout]

Why does picking up a package make it more suspicious? I order things off ebay that ship internationally and forget about them all the time. 3 months later I get a little notice in my mail that says I have a package, by that time I usually have no idea what I've received, but I go to pick it up anyway, whats to prove that package wasn't sent to me without my knowledge?

Hmm, okay i'll spell it out... slowly... if you pick a package up, it shows you ordered it.

If you get a package in your mailbox containing drugs the police will not be able to prove that you ordered it, someone could have mailed it to you with malicious intent.

If you pick a package up from the post office at a "poste restante" it makes it clear that :
 - you were expecting the package
 - you took steps to hide the link between the package and you

So, someone ships me drugs without my knowledge, I receive a notice in my mailbox that I have a package, I assume its an ebay package and go pick it up. Somehow there is proof that I ordered drugs?

You could argue your case, but why bother with a step that induces more. not less, risk?  You going to pick up a package
that you had sent on purpose to a PO box or to have held at the post office is more dangerous than just sending it to your house because it LOOKS like you intended and were aware of the package by going to pick it up.  Why would you go and pick it up if you were not expecting it.  Yes, you could make your argument, but it is foolish.  When you go to the post office to pick things up you have to sign for it and this is just not a good idea if you want to use a site such as we are discussing.