MEV Bot Steals from Hacker in Base Heist, Leaves Only $129K

A malicious actor on Base, a layer-2 network built by Coinbase, attempted to convert stolen USDC into Ethereum (ETH) but was caught in a sandwich attack by an MEV bot.

The hacker compromised a wallet and stole approximately 500,000 USDC. However, the swap was executed without sufficient slippage protection, making it vulnerable to the attack.

The MEV bot detected the large transaction, inserted its own buy and sell orders around it, and profited from the price difference, leaving the hacker with only 67 WETH (wrapped Ether), worth approximately $129,000 at the time. This is a stark illustration of the risks inherent in high-stakes crypto heists.

This incident highlights the growing trend of MEV bots acting as an informal policing force in DeFi, often at the expense of both legitimate traders and malicious actors.