June 18, 2025
Crypton.sh, a service providing secure phone numbers for SMS receiving and sending, is pleased to announce that we have restored our services at a new hosting location. This follows the temporary seizure of our previous server by local authorities on June 16, 2025, as part of an international investigation. We have no immediate plans to return to the original Icelandic server hosting and are committed to ensuring uninterrupted service moving forward.
What Happened
On June 16, 2025, our previous server was seized by local authorities in collaboration with international law enforcement, including U.S. agencies, as part of an investigation into illicit activities. This action was most likely linked to the recent takedown of Archetyp Market, a darknet marketplace shut down between June 11–13, 2025, by a multi-national effort. Evidence suggests that individuals associated with Archetyp utilized Crypton.sh’s phone number services for nefarious purposes, such as account registration or two-factor authentication. This unintended use triggered a ricochet effect, leading to the seizure of our server despite our compliance with legal and security standards. We only received information about the seizure after contacting our datacenter NoC and have had no previous contact.
Data Security
We prioritize user privacy. All user data within Crypton.sh, excluding necessary operational metadata, is encrypted, ensuring that no personal content was accessible during the investigation. Our team provided only required technical metadata to authorities, maintaining the confidentiality of our users throughout the process.
Service Restoration
Following the seizure, Crypton.sh has successfully migrated to a new hosting location. Services are now operational, and we are focused on maintaining reliability. The original server, currently undergoing forensic imaging, is expected to be returned to its datacenter by June 19, 2025, but we will continue operations from the new site to avoid future disruptions.
Next Steps
Ongoing Operations: We will continue to monitor and enhance our services at the new location, with updates provided via our official channels.
User Support: For any concerns, please contact us at [email protected]. Our team is available to assist.
Legal Cooperation: We are working to address the investigation's impact and protect our users interests. Further details will be shared as appropriate.
Full Postmortem: We will release a comprehensive postmortem in the coming weeks, detailing the incident and our response to enhance transparency and service resilience.
We regret the inconvenience caused by this external action and remain dedicated to providing a secure and trustworthy service.
Thank you for your continued support.
