TLDR
- Vitalik Buterin’s XDB token exchange sparked a sandwich attack from the JaredfromSubway MEV bot on Ethereum.
- The bot executed more than $1 million worth of trades before and after the Buterin deal was confirmed.
- Blockchain data showed that the sandwich attack occurred on Ethereum block 24993038 on April 30.
- JaredfromSubway used SushiSwap and Uniswap V2 pools to manipulate XDB prices while trading.
- Reports showed that the bot likely lost money after paying more than $5 in gas fees.
Ethereum mempool activity revealed another sandwich attack involving… Vitalik Buterin Earlier this week. Blockchain data showed that the JaredfromSubway bot targeted Buterin’s XDB micro-token trade on April 30. The deal sparked over $1 million in temporary trading volume across decentralized exchanges.
Vitalik Buterin has activated the automated MEV activity
Athirscan Data It showed that Buterin exchanged 26,544 XDB tokens for 0.00197 ETH during block 24993038. The transaction carried an estimated value of between $3.86 and $4.56. However, the JaredfromSubway bot detected the suspended trading before the ban was confirmed.
The bot then executed approximately $1.14 million in wrapped ether transactions through SushiSwap and Uniswap V2. These trades temporarily changed XDB’s liquidity prices before the Buterin transaction was completed. Next, the robot reversed positions and captured a small spread of motion.
Show CoinDesk analysis The robot probably only made a few cents from the sequence. Gas costs reportedly amounted to $5.14 during the operation. Therefore, it appears that the robot lost money on the isolated transaction.
Blockchain records still show that the bot completed the entire sandwich sequence despite the limited profit opportunity. Analysts said this behavior reflects automated scanning across Ethereum’s public memory pool. The system continuously searches for transactions matching pre-defined trading conditions.
A sandwich attack results in trades being placed before and after another user’s pending transaction. The strategy bids up the price of the asset before execution and sells it immediately afterwards. As a result, victims receive weaker execution prices during swaps.
JaredfromSubway continues to expand its Ethereum MEV operations
JaredfromSubway gained attention during the 2023 coin trading boom on Ethereum. The bot targeted traders dealing with tokens including PEPE and WOJAK. During April 2023, the bot briefly generated 7% Ethereum gas usage.
Reports estimated that the operation extracted more than $7 million in trading activity across hundreds of thousands of transactions. Developers and researchers tracked the wallet through several blockchain monitoring tools. The bot has also survived contract upgrades and liquidation attempts by creators.
Ethereum developers continue to discuss ways to reduce toxic extractable value cap activity. Buterin recently promoted crypto-memory pools within Ethereum’s 2026 development roadmap. He said public tokens expose ordinary traders to hidden trading costs.
MEV refers to the profits earned by ordering transactions on blockchain networks. Bots monitor pending transactions and list trades before confirmation. Sandwich attacks currently account for about 51% of attacks Ethereum MEV activity.
Current estimates put cumulative Ethereum mining MEV above $1.2 billion. Meanwhile, developers continued to test systems designed to limit the chances of advanced operation. Blockchain records as of April 30 still show Jared From Subway making the sandwich about the Buterin transaction.
