Jury Mistrial in $25M Ethereum MEV Fraud Case
Federal jury declared a mistrial in the $25M Ethereum MEV fraud trial against MIT-educated brothers Anton and James Peraire-Bueno. Prosecutors accused them of using MEV bots in a bait-and-switch scheme to manipulate Ethereum transaction ordering and reap maximal extractable value. The defense insisted their actions fell within protocol rules as legal base-stealing. The mistrial in this landmark Ethereum MEV case underscores legal challenges in applying fraud laws to decentralized protocols. The Department of Justice now weighs retrial, plea deal or dismissal amid calls for protocol changes and renewed debate on crypto regulation.
Neutral
The mistrial in the high-profile Ethereum MEV fraud case injects legal uncertainty but lacks direct technical impact on the Ethereum protocol. Traders should expect continued debate over MEV extraction rules and potential regulatory measures, yet no immediate catalyst for ETH price movement. In the short term, market reactions are likely muted as the Department of Justice decides on retrial or dismissal. Long-term, clarifications in protocol or regulation could shape MEV practices without destabilizing ETH’s market fundamentals.