Uranium Finance Hacker Convicted Over More Than $50 Million Crypto Theft

A Manhattan jury convicted Jonathan Spalletta on Oct. 7 over two 2021 hacks of Uranium Finance that stole more than $50 million in cryptocurrency. The 36-year-old Maryland cybersecurity consultant was found guilty of computer fraud and money laundering after a six-day federal trial.

Prosecutors said Spalletta exploited smart-contract flaws in April 2021. The first attack extracted about $1.4 million, while a second exploit drained about $53.3 million across multiple liquidity pools. Uranium Finance then shut down after losing access to sufficient funds. Spalletta later moved stolen assets through complex crypto transactions, including Tornado Cash, according to prosecutors.

Authorities said he used some proceeds to buy rare collectibles, including a Black Lotus Magic: The Gathering card for about $500,000 and 18 sealed Alpha Booster packs for about $1.5 million. He also bought first-edition Pokémon cards, a Roman coin commemorating Julius Caesar’s assassination for about $601,545, and Wright brothers airplane fabric later carried to the moon for about $137,500. Authorities seized about $31 million in cryptocurrency in 2025. Spalletta faces up to 10 years for computer fraud and 20 years for money laundering.