US Court Annuls Fraud Charges Against Avraham Eisenberg

Avraham Eisenberg was acquitted of fraud charges in the Mango Markets case by a US court on May 24, 2025.

The ruling, important for DeFi’s legal landscape, highlights challenges in defining fraud in decentralized finance, with no immediate market disruptions following the decision.

Avraham Eisenberg, a trader and game theorist, gained notoriety in 2022 after the $110 million exploit of Mango Markets. Legal proceedings concluded with a judge’s decision finding insufficient evidence of fraud, marking a notable moment in DeFi regulation.

Eisenberg, central to the Mango Markets exploit, faced fraud charges for manipulating the MNGO token. The court’s ruling emphasized the permissionless and automatic nature of DeFi platforms, resulting in no fraudulent activity confirmation.

US District Judge Arun Subramanian, U.S. District Court, “Mango Markets was permissionless and automatic…There was insufficient evidence of falsity.”

The legal outcome did not immediately impact DeFi market conditions. There was no significant institutional or financial disruption following Eisenberg’s acquittal, and broader DeFi assets remained stable without notable shifts.

Eisenberg’s legal challenges continue, with civil suits from the SEC and CFTC still pending. The court’s decision reinforces the complexity of prosecuting DeFi-based activities within traditional legal frameworks, raising potential discussions in future financial regulations.

The judgment points to a critical legal precedent in evaluating DeFi activities. The case underscores the difficulty in prosecuting within decentralized systems and signals the evidential standards required for charges in such environments. Expert public statements, however, are pending.