Mango Markets, once a prominent decentralized exchange on the Solana blockchain, will officially cease operations. This comes after several major events, including a severe hack and legal issues. 

The platform’s decision to wind down follows a settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). As the final chapter unfolds, Mango’s story serves as a stark reminder of the challenges that can bring even promising crypto projects to an abrupt end.

The Final Moves: Governance Proposals and Economic Impacts 

In a recent X post, Mango shared its announced shutdown plans with its community. The post clarified that Mango v4 and Boost, specific components of the Mango Markets platform, will no longer be available. 

Also, the ongoing borrowing on the platform would become economically unviable. This decision comes after the platform’s governance DAO approved changes to interest rates and collateral requirements. 

This makes borrowing and lending on the platform impractical. The proposals, supported unanimously by the Mango community, are set to take effect on January 13. These changes reflect the team’s efforts to bring the platform to a structured and deliberate end rather than leaving it to collapse on its own.

The Exploit That Shook Mango Markets 

Mango’s troubles began in October 2022 when Avraham “Avi” Eisenberg executed what he called a “highly profitable trading strategy.” Eisenberg manipulated the price of Mango’s native MNGO token, draining $110 million from the platform. 

While Eisenberg maintained that his actions were within the platform’s rules, a New York jury convicted him of fraud in April 2024. He has since requested a new trial, but the damage to Mango’s reputation and operations was irreversible.

Legal Battles and the SEC Settlement 

In mid-2024, Mango’s governance DAO agreed to settle charges brought by the SEC. The lawsuit accused Mango DAO, Mango Labs, and a Panama-based entity called Blockworks Foundation of selling unregistered crypto assets. It also alleged that they operated as an unregistered broker.

As part of the settlement, Mango’s governance DAO and development organization were required to destroy their MNGO tokens and ensure they were delisted from all exchanges. This settlement effectively sealed the fate of the platform’s native token and eroded its operational foundation.

Adding to Mango’s woes, Mango’s team was divided over locked MNGO tokens acquired from the FTX estate. The lawsuits and disputes deepened the cracks in the organization. By January 3, Mango co-founder Maximilian Schneider took to Discord to propose a “graceful shutdown” of the platform. 

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