MIT Brothers Face $25M Crypto Heist Charges—Fight to Suppress Google Search Evidence
Two MIT-educated brothers make their stand in court—accused of orchestrating a $25 million cryptocurrency exploit, now battling to keep their Google search history out of the evidence pile.
The Digital Heist—How It Went Down
Prosecutors claim the duo pulled off a sophisticated attack on a blockchain network, exploiting a vulnerability to drain millions in crypto assets. The $25 million figure puts this among the larger crypto thefts in recent memory—right up there with the kind of headline-grabbing exploits that make regulators nervous.
Google on Trial—The Brothers’ Defense Play
Their legal team is pushing hard to block evidence pulled from Google searches—arguing it’s a violation of privacy. Because nothing says “innocent” like trying to hide your search history after allegedly executing a multi-million-dollar digital robbery.
Big Tech Meets Big Crime
This case isn’t just about the theft—it’s a legal frontier moment. If the court allows the Google data, it sets a precedent: your search history can become Exhibit A. If it gets tossed, white-collar defendants everywhere just got a new loophole.
Another day, another crypto scandal—meanwhile, the rest of us just keep HODLing through the chaos.
MIT Brothers Argue Google Searches Are ‘Unfairly Prejudicial’ in $25M Crypto Case
The brothers claim the searches are “unfairly prejudicial” and have no evidentiary weight without proper context.
U.S. District Judge Jessica G.L. Clarke must now decide whether the searches reflect guilt or routine steps to obtain legal advice.
The brothers were arrested in May 2024 on conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering charges.
Prosecutors say they used their technical expertise to manipulate Ethereum’s MEV-boost system, intercepting private transactions and diverting $25 million in just 12 seconds.
The Department of Justice described it as a “first-of-its-kind manipulation of the ethereum blockchain.”
Court filings reveal the pair sought legal help immediately after being “threatened by anonymous sandwich attackers” demanding repayment of the funds.
A search for “top crypto lawyers” occurred on the same day as outreach to counsel, according to privilege logs submitted to the court.
Brothers Anton and James Peraire-Bueno arrested for a sophisticated $25M MEV-boost hack on April 2, 2023.https://t.co/O084AoeKrO
Two MIT graduates now facing up to 20 years in prison. Caught laundering stolen crypto and googling how to do it.https://t.co/PTXxN0K1Fp pic.twitter.com/Ad0rACtJkh
The defense argues prosecutors have no witnesses to connect the searches to criminal intent. “The contents of the searches themselves do not show that,” the motion said, adding that any inference of guilt WOULD be “purely speculative.”
The defense also moved to exclude certain news articles as hearsay and asked the court to block a Twitter screenshot of their alleged “false signature,” posted by pseudonymous researcher samczsun, saying prosecutors cannot authenticate the image.
If convicted, Anton and James Peraire-Bueno each face up to 20 years in prison per count in what could become a landmark case for blockchain exploitation and U.S. crypto law.
GMX to Compensate $44M After $42M Arbitrum Exploit
Earlier this month, decentralized perpetuals exchange GMX announced it would distribute $44 million to fully compensate Arbitrum GLP holders impacted by last month’s $42 million exploit.
Compensation will be made in GLV tokens, with additional rewards for users who hold them for three months. The payout includes recovered funds and $2 million from GMX’s treasury.
The July 9 breach stemmed from a reentrancy vulnerability in GMX V1’s contract structure, which allowed the attacker to manipulate assets-under-management calculations and drain the GLP pool.
The exploit was tied to the way V1 handled pricing across separate contracts, a flaw corrected in GMX V2. The attacker later returned 90% of the stolen funds after GMX offered a white-hat bounty.
