Uranium Finance DeFi Exploit: $54M Smart-Contract Theft Leads to US Charges

U.S. federal prosecutors have charged Jonathan Spalletta in the Uranium Finance DeFi exploit case tied to roughly $54 million in 2021 losses. The indictment, filed in the Southern District of New York, alleges smart-contract manipulation via two separate vulnerabilities. In the first Uranium Finance DeFi exploit, prosecutors say deceptive transactions let him withdraw rewards he was not entitled to, draining about $1.4 million from a liquidity pool. A later breach is alleged to have exploited withdrawal-limit controls across multiple pools, causing losses of about $53.3 million and ultimately forcing Uranium Finance to shut down. Prosecutors also accuse Spalletta of money laundering, claiming stolen crypto was used to buy high-value collectibles such as rare Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering cards, plus an Apollo 11-linked artifact. Authorities say about $31 million has been seized or recovered, including funds connected to the earlier exploit. Spalletta faces one count of computer fraud and one count of money laundering. If convicted, he could receive up to 30 years in prison. The filing rejects the idea that the conduct was “fake internet money,” arguing the alleged actions amount to criminal theft.