Incognito Market Boss Gets 30 Years for Crypto Drug Sales

Crypto News Regulation

Incognito Market Founder Gets 30 Years for Crypto Drug Sales

Written by Aaron S.,

Editor-In-Chief

Last Updated: February 05, 2026

Key Takeaways

Rui-Siang Lin, creator of Incognito Market, got 30 years in prison for running a $105 million dark web drug platform;
FBI used blockchain tracking to trace Incognito’s crypto payments back to Lin’s exchange account;
Lin pleaded guilty to drug, laundering, and mislabeling charges, and must forfeit $105 million in illegal profits.

Stop overpaying - start transferring money with Ogvio. Sign up, invite friends & grab Rewards now! 🎁

Incognito Market Founder Gets 30 Years for Crypto Drug Sales

BITDEGREE IN YOUR SOCIAL FEED

A man behind one of the internet’s largest dark web markets has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after investigators used blockchain analysis to link him to the operation.

The US Department of Justice announced that Rui‑Siang Lin received the sentence from a Manhattan federal court.

Prosecutors said Lin managed Incognito Market, an online platform that processed around $105 million worth of drug sales between October 2020 and March 2024. The site accepted payments in Bitcoin BTC $66,196.22 and Monero XMR $315.81 and took a 5% commission on each trade.

What is a Liquidity Pool in Crypto? (Animated)

Did you know?

Want to get smarter & wealthier with crypto?

Subscribe - We publish new crypto explainer videos every week!

Lin admitted guilt in December 2024 to three charges: conspiring to distribute drugs, money laundering, and selling mislabeled pharmaceuticals.

Investigators said they traced cryptocurrency transfers connected to Incognito and found an exchange account registered under his name.

Prosecutors described Incognito as a place where users could anonymously buy and sell narcotics. The FBI’s blockchain tracing tools allowed agents to follow digital money flows, which eventually uncovered Lin’s identity despite the site’s use of privacy-focused coins.

Jay Clayton, Manhattan US Attorney, said, "Today’s sentence puts traffickers on notice: you cannot hide in the shadows of the Internet. Our larger message is simple: the internet, ‘decentralization,’ ‘blockchain’, any technology, is not a license to operate a narcotics distribution business".

Besides his prison sentence, Lin will spend five years under supervision after release and must surrender over $105 million in illegal earnings.

Recently, Igor Runets, head of BitRiver, has been taken into custody in Russia on suspicion of tax violations. How did the case unfold? Read the full story.