Avraham Eisenberg, known for orchestrating the 2022 Mango Markets exploit, has been handed a 52-month prison sentence—but not for his crypto-related activities.
The punishment stems from a separate case involving child sexual abuse material, with sentencing finalized on May 1 in a New York federal court.
While this verdict concludes one legal battle, another looms. Eisenberg still awaits sentencing for the high-profile crypto hack, which saw Mango Markets drained of $100 million after a price manipulation scheme.
Though both cases were expected to be addressed together, only the child exploitation charges have reached resolution.
In the crypto case, Eisenberg argued that his actions were legal market tactics, not criminal behavior. Nonetheless, a jury convicted him in April 2024 of wire fraud and market manipulation.
Authorities dismissed his defense, citing extensive evidence. His legal team pushed for an acquittal months later, but prosecutors stood firm.
Mango’s collapse was swift: its token plunged, deposits were frozen, and user losses mounted. The case became a cautionary tale as regulators ramped up efforts to rein in financial exploits in decentralized systems.
Loopscale, a decentralized finance platform built on Solana, was forced to pause its lending operations after a major security breach led to losses of around $5.8 million.
Alex Mashinsky, co-founder and former CEO of the defunct crypto lending platform Celsius, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 8, 2025, following his guilty plea to two federal criminal charges late last year.
A decentralized exchange targeted in a multi-million-dollar exploit has recovered its losses just days after the incident, thanks to an unexpected twist involving the hacker themselves.
A recent cyberattack targeting a UK government official’s social media account has highlighted ongoing concerns over digital impersonation and crypto scams.