I wonder if the US government can prosecute users of shadow simply based on the fact that the client is used for buying illegal drugs. Think about this for a second. If this market place is truly decentralized then the entire contents are hosted on individual's computers via the blockchain. That means that both orders and merchandise and all transactions are on shadow's users hard drives. Maybe the US or other nations will simply bust you for enabling the "drug network" by running your client (node). Since without you or anyone else participating the marketplace is essentially dead.
I think they can prove this in court as well. If the marketplace is used primarily for illegal things then why else would you be running it?
I know what your going to say, why don't the powers that be bust TOR users. Well, Tor can be used for many different reasons. A decentralized silk road is used for only one purpose. Especially when you have an anonymous currency tied to it. I don't think they will have a problem convincing a judge either. Better hope that your IP is obfuscated each time you load that client.
That's why you don't build a "decentralized market"...
Instead, people are building well known, public decentralized general purpose platforms.
People have no idea how infiltrated crypto forums are by LE...
Every single time someone is arrested they are flipped and their scam is taken over and kept running...
I would bet a substantial amount that this place is controlled and run by Feds...
It's the only explanation why it's a hell hole with zero moderation and every conceivable scam gets the red carpet.
You can only get away with hardcore crime in lawless places like Eastern Europe.