Crypto Trader Unknowingly Loses Over $200,000 in a Single Uniswap V3 Transaction

This transaction, recorded on Ethereum block 22029771, showed that the trader swapped 220,806 USDC but only received 5,272 USDT in return—an enormous loss.

A crypto trader lost over $200,000 in a single swap transaction on Uniswap V3, which was flagged by blockchain analytics platforms as an MEV Transaction.

The transaction, which occurred on March 12, 2025, at 09:04 AM UTC on Ethereum block 22029771, involved the trader swapping 220,806 USDC for 5,272 USDT, an enormous loss.

The transaction hash flagged it as an MEV Transaction, meaning it bypassed the public mempool and was sent directly to block producers, likely exploited by arbitrage bots.

The trader was attempting to swap 220,806 USDC for USDT on Uniswap V3, but due to an incorrectly set slippage tolerance or unfavorable routing, the swap executed at a highly unfavorable rate, leaving the trader with only 5,272 USDT instead of the expected amount.

However, MEV bots identified the large USDC trade and submitted their own transactions before and after the trader’s swap, manipulating the price.

This caused the trader’s swap to execute at an extremely unfavorable exchange rate, and the bots pocketed the difference, leaving the trader with just a fraction of their funds.

The bots used their transactions to interfere with the trader’s trade on Uniswap V3, pivoting the price of USDC/USDT in their favor.

The trader's transaction was broadcast directly to block producers (validators) via priority gas auction, while the bots' transactions were included in the public mempool.

The trader's transaction was then mined in the next block, with the bots' transactions manipulating the exchange rate to their advantage.

The trader's transaction was executed at a terrible rate, leaving them with minimal USDT despite investing a large sum in USDC.

The optimal exchange rate at the time was around 440, and the trader's transaction executed at approximately 196, indicating a substantial loss due to MEV exploitation.

This incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of exercising caution and setting slippage values appropriately when engaging in cryptocurrency transactions.

Unfavorable slippage can lead to significant losses, especially for large trades, as bots may have the opportunity to manipulate prices and extract maximal extractable value (MEV).

In the case of the crypto trader who lost over $200,000 in a single swap transaction on Uniswap V3, the trader's transaction was mined after two transactions by arbitrage bots, which exploited the trader's transaction to generate substantial gains.

The trader attempted to swap 220,806 USDC for USDT, but the transaction executed at an appalling exchange rate, leaving them with only 5,272 USDT.

The trader's transaction was broadcast directly to block producers using priority gas auction, while the bots' transactions were included in the public mempool and mined in the next block.

The trader's transaction was then mined in the third block, with the bots' transactions manipulating the exchange rate to their advantage.

The optimal exchange rate at the time was around 440, and the trader's transaction executed at approximately 196, indicating that the trader lost a considerable amount due to MEV exploitation.

The crypto trader's transaction was detected by blockchain analytics platforms and flagged as an MEV Transaction.

The transaction was spotted by crypto researcher and influencer DeFi Inspector.

"This is an insane story of how a crypto trader lost $200,000 in a single transaction," DeFi Inspector noted.

"The transaction was mined after 2 transactions by arbitrage bots, who exploited the trader’s transaction to generate a $190,000+ gain."

"The trader was attempting to swap 220,806 USDC for USDT on Uniswap V3, but the transaction executed at an appalling exchange rate, leaving the trader with only 5,272 USDT."

"The trader's transaction was broadcast directly to block producers using priority gas auction, while the bots' transactions were included in the public mempool and mined in the next block."

"The trader's transaction was then mined in the third block, with the bots' transactions manipulating the exchange rate to their advantage."

"The optimal exchange rate at the time was around 440, and the trader's transaction executed at approximately 196, indicating that the trader lost a considerable amount due to MEV exploitation."

The researcher added that the trader's transaction was mined in the third block with a minimal gas fee, while the arbitrage bots paid a high gas fee to ensure their transactions were mined quickly and included in the next block.

"The trader's transaction was mined in the third block with a minimal gas fee, while the arbitrage bots paid a high gas fee to ensure their transactions were mined