Cointime

Cointime

Download App
iOS & Android

Eisenberg KYC’d as a Ukrainian Woman on a Crypto Exchange to Carry out the Mango Markets Exploit

Validated Media

The fine print of court documents detailing the arrest and charging of the Mango Markets exploiter with fraud and market manipulation has revealed previously unnoticed details of how he carried out his scheme of profiting from the manipulation of the MNGO/USD perpetual contract.

Eisenberg Used a Crypto Account Verified Using the Credentials of a Ukrainian Womanmango

According to the statement of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent Brandon Racz, the defendant, Avraham Eisenberg, opened an account on a crypto exchange around September 19th 2022, ‘using a passport and personal identifying information that appears to belong to a Ukrainian woman, along with a particular Gmail address.’

He added that the Gmail account was created ‘on or about September 1st 2022,’ with a recovery email of [email protected] and a phone number, both belonging to Avraham Eisenberg.

Special Agent Racz explained that Eisenberg used the trading account to receive 12 million USDC, then sold for over 16 million MNGO. This trade caused the price of MNGO to rise from $0.0388 to a peak value of $0.1557, kickstarting the sequence of events that led to Mango Markets DeFi protocol losing an estimated $114 million.

Eisenberg’s Case Highlights a Common Practise of Individuals Purchasing Verified Crypto Trading Accounts

Eisenberg using a trading account verified using the information of a Ukrainian woman, brings to light an often-used technique of traders buying crypto exchange accounts to circumvent jurisdictional restrictions.

Such incidences were common when Bitmex and Binance started banning US crypto traders from their platforms due to regulatory pressure from the CFTC and SEC.

The purchased verified accounts were then used alongside a stable VPN to access the blocked trading platform, providing access to tokens and services such as futures trading, usually prohibited in the United States.

Americans Who Traded on FTX International Using Fake Accounts Might Not Get Compensated — Su Zhu

Su Zhu, the co-founder of defunct crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital, has also chimed in on the fact that Eisenberg used the credentials of a Ukrainian woman to trade on a crypto exchange.

Mr Zhu pointed out that Americans most likely used fake KYC credentials to trade on FTX, concluding that they might not get compensated once the bankruptcy proceedings are over.

‘One reason I’m pretty bullish on FTX claims is [because] people are vastly underestimating what % of Americans who traded on FTX did so with fake KYC. These people won’t even be able to file claims,’ Su Zhu explained in a Tweet.

(By John P. Njui)

Mango Markets
Comments

All Comments

Recommended for you

  • SEC and CFTC Update Crypto FAQs: Token Buybacks and Network Upgrades Not Necessarily Securities, CFTC Allows On-Chain Record Keeping

    On September 26, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Corporation Finance released an updated FAQ on September 25, clarifying that token buybacks, network upgrades, and marketing statements do not automatically make crypto assets securities. SEC staff noted that announcing a buyback plan for an operational crypto network does not, by itself, make the associated tokens investment contracts; however, if the network is not operational and the issuer promotes the buyback as a source of returns for holders, it may be a different case. The FAQ also clarified that services provided once a crypto system is operational, aimed at securing, maintaining, improving, or enhancing the system or its functions, or promoting network effects, do not constitute managerial efforts under the Howey test. Marketing existing uses of the network typically does not create profit expectations, and statements about future functionalities do not either, provided there is no promotion of profit potential. This update reiterates that conclusions will still heavily depend on specific cases and are based on the SEC's interpretative release regarding the applicability of securities laws to crypto assets issued in March this year. On the same day, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission updated its crypto FAQ, allowing futures firms and clearinghouses to invest customer funds in tokenized versions of previously permitted assets, provided they meet investment and custody requirements. CFTC staff also indicated that regulated companies may use blockchain for record keeping but must still be able to provide records if the blockchain or its block explorer is non-operational. These updates come as the CLARITY Act failed to advance in the Senate, with regulators continuing to push forward with the crypto regulatory framework based on existing laws.

  • BTC Surpasses $84,000

    Market data shows that BTC has surpassed $84,000, currently priced at $84,004, with a 24-hour decline of 0.25%. The market is experiencing significant volatility, so please ensure proper risk management.

  • BTC Falls Below $84,000

    Market data shows that BTC has fallen below $84,000, currently priced at $83,988.06, with a 24-hour increase of 0.52%. The market is experiencing significant volatility, so please ensure proper risk management.

  • ETH Falls Below $2700

    Market data shows that ETH has fallen below $2700, currently priced at $2699.7, with a 24-hour increase of 1.95%. The market is experiencing significant volatility, so please ensure proper risk management.

  • BTC Surpasses $85,000

    Market data shows that BTC has surpassed $85,000, currently priced at $85,000.02, with a 24-hour increase of 1.72%. The market is highly volatile, so please ensure proper risk management.

  • ETH Surpasses $2700

    Market data shows that ETH has surpassed $2700, currently priced at $2700.14, with a 24-hour increase of 1.23%. The market is experiencing significant fluctuations, so please ensure proper risk management.

  • Yushu Technology's Wang Xingxing: Key to Breakthrough in Embodied Intelligence Lies in Solving Millimeter-Level Error Issues

    On September 25, the 5th Global Digital Trade Expo was held in Hangzhou, where Wang Xingxing, founder of Yushu Technology, delivered a keynote speech titled "From Machinery to Intelligence - The Evolutionary Theory of Embodied Future." Wang stated that the embodied intelligence industry may soon experience a critical breakthrough similar to that of ChatGPT. He believes that when robots can complete approximately 80% of tasks through voice interaction and embodied intelligence capabilities in about 80% of unfamiliar environments, the industry will enter a critical phase of large-scale application. He pointed out that the ability for robots to understand and execute specific tasks based on voice commands has already made breakthroughs last year, but the industry still faces a core technological bottleneck, namely the precise matching issue between artificial intelligence models and the real physical world. Wang noted that currently, robots still have a few millimeters of error during actual operations, which limits their stability and reliability in complex environments. "In the future, whoever can solve this problem will fundamentally resolve the issues with robots."

  • Swissquote Analyst Warns AI Narrative is a Core Pillar of US Stocks, Potential Break Could Trigger Significant Correction

    On September 25, Ipek Ozkardeskaya, a senior analyst at Swissquote Bank, stated that broad market indices and retirement funds are now deeply tied to the AI wave, with technology stocks accounting for about 40% of the S&P 500 index. She pointed out that the market capitalization weight of just three chip manufacturers makes up over 25% of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. Ozkardeskaya indicated that AI has become the 'core pillar' of the market, and this pillar 'must not show any cracks.' She believes that, in the short term, the US stock market will continue to be supported by seasonal factors, and the current market uptrend may extend until the end of the year. However, she also warned that the worst-case scenario would be a shake in the investment logic surrounding AI, which could undermine market confidence in the AI narrative, potentially triggering a significant market correction.

  • U.S. Stock Index Futures Turn Positive; Chip Stocks Rally in After-Hours Trading

    On September 25, U.S. stock index futures rose into positive territory, with Nasdaq futures up 0.36%. In after-hours trading, storage and semiconductor stocks saw widespread gains, with AMD, Intel, and SanDisk all rising by 2%.

  • NEAR Partners with Ondo to Launch 20 Tokenized US Stocks and ETFs

    On September 25, according to Cryptonews, NEAR Protocol and Ondo Finance have launched trading for tokenized US stocks and ETFs on near.com, with an initial offering of 20 assets including Nvidia, Tesla, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, as well as SPY and QQQ. Eligible users can deposit using over 30 supported stablecoins or other crypto assets, with NEAR Intents serving as the cross-chain distribution layer, allowing similar assets to be routed to connected wallets and DeFi protocols in the future. Purchases are settled in USDon, which is backed 1:1 by US dollars in brokerage accounts, and completed via atomic swaps. This product is not available to US persons; the overall Ondo platform has launched over 100 assets, with NEAR initially offering only one-fifth of that.

Daily Must-Read

Popular Activities

RaveDAO at Terra Solis by Tomorrowland: A Female-Led Techno Night Where Web3 Culture Converges

RaveDAO at Terra Solis by Tomorrowland: A Female-Led Techno Night Where Web3 Culture Converges

April 30 - April 30
Dubai

Popular Tags

Cointime
News
Contents
RSS
Company