Two developments in the darknet market community have recently come as a surprise to many.
One was that Dream Market, a popular dark web marketplace, has now resumed functioning after a maintenance break.
This is key because those who deal within darknet markets are generally used to such sites either vanishing after such breaks or getting shut down forever due to law enforcement takedowns.
Dream Market's re-entrance into the scene was therefore welcomed by many through online forums.
The other interesting development in the dark web marketplace arena is that Dream Market disclosed that it is now accepting Bitcoin Cash as a payment option for transactions on the site.
Anonymity Being Compromised?The question on top of everyone's mind is why Dream Market has added Bitcoin Cash (BCH) to its list of currencies in which payments are accepted.
The reason for this is that the level of anonymity enjoyed by both BCH and Bitcoin (BTC) is no longer considered the same, and dark web users in particular consider these currencies transparent and traceable.
The reason it has evokes some interest now is because this is probably the very first attempt by any darknet market to include BCH in its basket of officially accepted currencies for transactions.
It is public knowledge that the kind of trade that flourishes within the dark web requires buyers and sellers to remain anonymous and not leave a trace either of the transaction they enter into or the payment they make.
This is one obvious reason why the news is seen as a departure from the norm.
For the record, those registered on the Dream Market site and are willing to use BCH as the currency option have to choose the same in their account settings.
The Battle Within Digital CurrenciesBut at another level, even as the price of Bitcoin is touching unprecedented levels, traders within the dark web have gradually moved to altcoins like Monero as their preferred cryptocurrency.
Ironically, Dream Market has not added Monero on its website so far.
And this comes at a time when people are practically dumping Bitcoin for Monero, particularly where anonymity is critical.
It may still be some time before the issue gets sorted out.
For now, though, the reality is that traders prefer to stay away from Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin and Ethereum while dealing in the dark web to buy drugs or other illegal items.
Some do believe the team at Dream Market would have had a reason for adding support for BCH to the payments system, which may become apparent in due course.
Will Business be Affected on Dream Market?The next important question curious observers may have is whether this move may affect the trade being carried out on Dream Market.
Again, this may be difficult to predict right away, but there are contra opinions in the market on this assumption that Bitcoin Cash does not enjoy anonymity.
There are some who believe one can still use the currency to trade and remain untraceable.
If this opinion gains currency (pun intended), then there may not be too much of a loss of business on the Dream Market site.
The Currency Backers are Quite Optimistic About BCHMeanwhile, those supporting both BTC and BCH are seeing a bright future for the two digital currencies, particularly BCH.
It is being quoted at high values and is increasing its reach of acceptance.
This was seen earlier this month when Bitcoin.com CEO Roger Ver announced on Twitter that the site would soon launch a Bitcoin Cash debit card.
And there are indications that others may soon release similar dedicated plastic methods of financial transaction enabling the use of BCH.
The currency is valued at just over $3,000 with a market cap of more than $55 billion, and it ranks third among all cryptocurrencies.
In fact, Bitcoin Cash may end the calendar year 2017 on a comfortable high.
The currency is also reported to be receiving more infrastructure support with two more exchanges to deal exclusively in BCH and in other areas like ATMs and wallets.
The latest development of Dream Market accepting BCH as a payment option could be good for the future of the cryptocurrency.
Trade on the darknet will continue to be a mystery to many, and even though there have been several recent setbacks by law enforcement-initiated takedowns, the dark web trading scene appears to be evolving.
Bitcoin Cash is expected to play a roll in that future over the coming months.
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