A Manhattan federal jury convicted Maryland cybersecurity consultant Jonathan Spalletta of stealing nearly $55 million from decentralized exchange Uranium Finance in two April 2021 hacks.
The Oct. 7 verdict ends a yearslong case over attacks that drained Uranium’s liquidity pools and left the platform unable to recover. The second exploit alone took about $53.3 million.
Uranium Finance Hacks
Spalletta first targeted Uranium’s rewards system on April 8, stealing about $1.4 million. He later described the theft as a crypto heist.
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“Crypto is all fake internet money anyway,” Spalletta wrote after the first attack. Prosecutors said he later sought a $386,000 bug bounty from Uranium.
Three weeks later, Spalletta exploited another smart contract flaw and drained several liquidity pools. The April 28 attack generated about $53.3 million and dealt a major blow to the exchange.
Crypto Laundering and Purchases
Prosecutors said Spalletta moved the stolen cryptocurrency through a series of transactions, including transfers through Tornado Cash. He also used part of the proceeds to buy high-value collectibles.
His purchases included a $500,000 Black Lotus card and $1.51 million worth of sealed Magic: The Gathering cards. He also bought rare Pokémon cards and Roman coins.
Authorities seized about $31 million in cryptocurrency from Spalletta in February 2025. He faces up to 30 years in prison across the two convictions.
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