ae13

Ethereum's top MEV bot AE13 gets wrecked, $15 million gone in smoke

This news blew up today—famous MEV bot AE13 was set up in a classic trap with fake tokens + fake liquidity pools, losing over $15 million.

🪤 The attack method isn’t complicated: the hacker deployed a bunch of fake tokens and fake liquidity pools, intentionally creating an on-chain illusion of juicy arbitrage opportunities. AE13's bot sniffed out the "opportunity," auto-authorized the tokens, and then poof—money vanished.

In plain terms, the trap was turned against the trapper.

😂 Karma's a b****. MEV bots are out here daily harvesting retail traders, and now they’ve become prey to a stronger hunter. Ironically, the attacker exploited the core capabilities of the bot—auto-detecting arbitrage and auto-authorizing—to turn the weapon back on its maker.

💀 AE13 is now offering a $3 million bounty to recover funds and is even sending a message to the hacker: return half, and we’ll call it a day; otherwise, legal action is coming.

Honestly, can on-chain addresses be recovered? Tough. Are legal proceedings useful? Even tougher. That $15 million is likely gone for good.

💡 Shadow's take: This isn’t just a simple hacking incident; it’s a brutal correction within the MEV ecosystem. When your bot can auto-authorize tokens and execute trades automatically, you’ve basically taped the safe combination to the front door. It’s not a matter of if you’ll get caught, but when. AE13 won’t be the last.

How many retail traders did AE13 scoop up with slippage back in the day? Does this sting for them? Do you think the hacker should return half or keep it all? Let’s chat in the comments.

#AE13