MIT Brothers Who Exploited MEV Bots for $25M Must Face Trial, Judge Rules

Key Points

1. Anton and James Peraire-Bueno allegedly stole $25 million in 12 seconds by manipulating Ethereum’s MEV-Boost protocol in April 2023.

2. The brothers used 16 Ethereum validators and bots to convert illiquid cryptocurrencies into stablecoins before transferring $20 million to U.S. accounts.

3. The case highlights growing concerns about MEV exploitation, with recent incidents including a $2 million insider attack and a Solana MEV bot earning $30 million in two months.

4. Each brother faces charges of conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering, carrying potential 20-year sentences, with a trial scheduled for October 14, 2025.

5. MEV bots now consume 40% of Solana’s blockspace and over half of Ethereum rollups’ gas usage, posing scalability challenges for blockchains.