In a major development in the ongoing Mango Markets exploit case, the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico has issued an order of detention for accused exploiters Avraham Eisenberg. The decision to detain Eisenberg was made by United States Magistrate Judge Bruce McGiverin following a detention hearing, with the court citing several reasons for the decision.
According to court documents, there is a risk that Eisenberg will not appear as required for future court proceedings, and that no condition or combination of conditions of Eisenberg’s release would reasonably assure this. In addition, the court noted that Eisenberg faces a significant potential period of incarceration if convicted, has significant ties outside of the United States, and has an unverified background.
A detention order is a court order that may be issued at a bail hearing, requiring the defendant to remain in custody until the case is resolved or until they are released through a bail review. Eisenberg was arrested on December 28th on fraud charges related to the Mango Markets exploit, which he has described as a legal open market action and a “written profitable trading strategy.”
The Mango Markets exploit, which occurred on October 15th, resulted in the drain of $100 million from the Solana SOL 0.33% DeFi platform and a 52% drop in the platform’s token value. Eisenberg’s involvement in the exploit has been the subject of much controversy, with some arguing that he was simply using the protocol as it was designed, while others have called his actions fraudulent and manipulative.
The court’s decision to detain Eisenberg pending trial is sure to be met with mixed reactions, as the case continues to unfold and more information comes to light. Regardless of the ultimate outcome, it is clear that the Mango Markets exploit has had major consequences for all parties involved, and will continue to make headlines as the legal proceedings progress.