Maryland Man Charged Over $54 Million Uranium Finance Hacks
According to U.S. prosecutors, charges are moving forward against Jonathan Spalletta over two 2021 Uranium Finance exploits that allegedly stole more than $54 million from the DeFi platform.
Summary
U.S. prosecutors are proceeding with charges against Jonathan Spalletta, a Maryland resident accused of carrying out two 2021 exploits against Uranium Finance that drained about $54.7 million. The Southern District of New York case includes computer fraud and money laundering charges with a combined maximum sentence of 30 years. Prosecutors said Uranium Finance shut down after the second exploit, and U.S. authorities later seized $31 million in cryptocurrency in February 2025 tied to the April 2021 hack.
Terms & Concepts
- Uranium Finance: A decentralized exchange and DeFi platform that operated on blockchain infrastructure and was targeted in the 2021 exploits.
- DeFi: Short for decentralized finance, a blockchain-based financial ecosystem that offers services such as trading and lending without traditional intermediaries.
- money laundering: The process of concealing the origin of illicit funds, including through transactions designed to make them appear legitimate.