Nova is a lesser-known Russia-based darknet market that has managed to pick up some traction during recent months as larger markets battle it out for dominance in the post-Hydra era market landscape. Nova requires the enabling of JavaScript to function and can be accessed via both dark web and clear web. In addition to servicing just about every region of Russia, Nova is also available to users in the countries of Georgia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and even Mongolia. The first country option listed is North Korea, but there is a smiley face next to it, so interpret that as you will.
Nove Market link – novaltdu2fxbs7mvat6sixh2cmaorbz3bsn72ejzeenehmgbx7kfviad.onion
The site is available in Russian, English and Ukrainian, with the last option being a bit curious as they do not seem to support cities in Ukraine. To differentiate themselves from the competition, Nova offers a choice of 2-FA options, linkage to the user’s Telegram account for notifications, and the option to “follow” others users of the market (mainly staff and vendors). JavaScript makes for a clean site design; the site itself being neatly divided between four main categories: Drugs, Services, Shops, and Carrier (kladsmen). All drug sales are done via use of the dread drop (“buried treasure”) system. The market expressly forbids use of services offered for criminal activity in the US, EU, and Israel.
Nova Market Product Selection
Listings are divided into two categories on Nova: Drugs and Services. Drug categories include Marijuana, Cocaine, Ecstasy (MDMA), Mephedrone, Psychedelics, Amphetamines, Pharmaceuticals, Cannabinoids, Opiates, Dissociatives, and Other. Services categories consist of Bank Cards, Wallets, Documents, Employment, Graphic Rendering, Graphic Design, SIM Cards, VPN/SSH/Proxy/Socks, Magnets/Zips/Stickers (kladsmen equipment), and Devices/Technology. Listings are also divided by shop, with certain shops appearing based on whether they service the region selected by the user.
Nova Market Payment Methods
Nova is a Bitcoin-only market, for now. There is a Monero deposit option listed in the Wallet portion of the site, but it is currently disabled. It should be noted that users do not have the option to withdraw BTC, so they must make use of one of Nova’s cashout services if they want to move funds off the market. Such services appear to be limited, with the primary service being the purchase of pre-funded bank cards for traditional cashout services such as QIWI and YooMoney (Yandex). Nova does not support any advanced payment options like BTC multisig or direct pay.
Nova Pros
- Services a wide region of population centers within Russia and neighboring countries.
- Excellent site design makes it easy to traverse and find locally-available products.
- Accessible in three different languages.
- Strict rules in place to protect buyers and sellers.
Nova Cons
- JavaScript required.
- BTC only, uses centralized account deposit system.
- Use of Cloudflare on clearnet site poses potential security risks.
- Cannot withdraw BTC and small selection of partnered exchangers.
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In all, Nova appears to be an up-and-coming Russia-based darknet market that is trying to make a name for itself by adding features that its competition does not have. This includes expanding access to areas and countries not traditionally included by Russian markets, adding a social media aspect to encourage engagement, allowing notifications via Telegram, and at least flirting with the idea of supporting Monero. Since all funds are centrally controlled, motivations for an exit scam remain, and Nova has yet to prove that it is in business for the long haul.
