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  • Tracers in the Dark

  • The Global Hunt for the Crime Lords of Cryptocurrency
  • Written by: Andy Greenberg
  • Narrated by: Ari Fliakos
  • Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (31 ratings)

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Tracers in the Dark

Written by: Andy Greenberg
Narrated by: Ari Fliakos
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Publisher's Summary

From the award-winning author of Sandworm comes the propulsive story of a new breed of investigators who have cracked the Bitcoin blockchain, exposing once-anonymous realms of money, drugs, and violence.

“I love the book… It reads like a thriller… These stories are amazing.” (Michael Lewis)

Over the last decade, a single innovation has massively fueled digital black markets: cryptocurrency. Crime lords inhabiting lawless corners of the internet have operated more freely—whether in drug dealing, money laundering, or human trafficking—than their analog counterparts could have ever dreamed of. By transacting not in dollars or pounds but in currencies with anonymous ledgers, overseen by no government, beholden to no bankers, these black marketeers have sought to rob law enforcement of their chief method of cracking down on illicit finance: following the money.

But what if the centerpiece of this dark economy held a secret, fatal flaw? What if their currency wasn’t so cryptic after all? An investigator using the right mixture of technical wizardry, financial forensics, and old-fashioned persistence could uncover an entire world of wrongdoing.

Tracers in the Dark is a story of crime and pursuit unlike any other. With unprecedented access to the major players in federal law enforcement and private industry, veteran cybersecurity reporter Andy Greenberg tells an astonishing saga of criminal empires built and destroyed. He introduces an IRS agent with a defiant streak, a Bitcoin-tracing Danish entrepreneur, and a colorful ensemble of hardboiled agents and prosecutors as they delve deep into the crypto-underworld. The result is a thrilling, globe-spanning story of dirty cops, drug bazaars, trafficking rings, and the biggest takedown of an online narcotics market in the history of the Internet.

Utterly of our time, Tracers in the Dark is a cat-and-mouse story and a tale of a technological one-upmanship. Filled with canny maneuvering and shocking twists, it answers a provocative question: How would some of the world’s most brazen criminals behave if they were sure they could never get caught?

©2022 Andy Greenberg (P)2022 Random House Audio

What the critics say

A NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE

“Immensely readable... Greenberg is known for his ability to explain complicated technology in a way anyone can understand, and he doesn’t disappoint when he tackles crypto…. The whole smoky world of crypto starts to open up... [He] takes readers on a romp through some of the most infamous dark web takedowns in recent memory.”—Washington Post

"Greenberg sketches the evolution of a wholly new discipline in the surprisingly lively real-life police procedural [that] deftly teases out technical detail without slowing the narrative."—Associated Press

“A pivotal story of the internet, the dark web and policing in the Digital Age. The book demonstrates in gripping, and sometimes thrilling detail, how law enforcement agencies such as the IRS Criminal Investigations unit have harnessed powerful emerging technology to trace cryptocurrency, which once seemed anonymous, right to the doorsteps of some of the world’s most wanted criminals… Tracers in The Dark raises essential questions about the future of cryptocurrency.”—CyberScoop

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What listeners say about Tracers in the Dark

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Loved this

Excellent insight and understanding into cyber and the dark web. Wow. Kind of wish I didn’t know what I now know.

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A fascinating read

Andy has done it again - just like Sandworm this is an unbelievably captivating journey. The book is a deep dive through the dark side of Bitcoin, cryptocurrency and the dark web and is very well written. Highly recommend.

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Satisfying

I was hooked when I read the excerpts in Wired, and found it just as thrilling when I read the book with all the pieces of the puzzle put together. I can’t even image the research and thinking that went into this.

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Everything everywhere!

Bought this book because it was recommended on Darknet Diaries and it was exactly what I wanted it to be! The way these stories are all interconnected blows my mind. If you’re into darknet crime this book is for you!

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True crime stories and dark net technology

The author does a fantastic job breaking down complicated and technical dark net stories and makes them very interesting and easily understandable.

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Must listen

This is such a thrilling and well put together book. Well researched and explained, with enough technical detail but without losing or talking down to the reader. Honestly some of the stories are so incredible they read like a crime novel. It’s a page turner.

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Good but not great.

Read an excerpt of this book earlier this year in Wired. Have been looking forward to it ever since! All of the stories in this book are excellent but unfortunately, they have just been told to death. Half of the book is about Ross Ulbrich, I would recommend picking up American Kingpin to learn about that story instead.

That being said, I did pick up This Machine Kills Secrets - hoping to enjoy that book by Mr Greenberg more than this one.

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