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US prosecutors have asked a federal court to reject an amicus brief submitted by the DeFi Education Fund ahead of a possible retrial.
The case centres on brothers Anton and James Peraire-Bueno, accused of exploiting the Ethereum blockchain for roughly $25 million.
Prosecutors filed their objection in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Interim US Attorney Jay Clayton addressed the request to Judge Jessica Clarke.
The government argued the DeFi Education Fund’s brief is not relevant to the pending motion.
Clayton said the submission repeats arguments the court has already rejected.
Detached from the trial record, the brief merely recites legal arguments already rejected by this Court.
Jay Clayton said.
He added the brief does not provide unique information to assist the court’s review.
The filing follows a mistrial declared in November after jurors failed to reach a verdict.
The brothers are accused of using automated maximal extractable value, or MEV, bots.
Prosecutors have asked for a retrial to be scheduled as early as late February or March 2026.
The DeFi Education Fund filed a draft brief on Dec. 19 supporting dismissal or acquittal.
The group argued the case carries broader consequences for decentralised finance developers.
Prosecutions like this one bring ambiguity and fear to software developers.
The organisation said.
It warned that aggressive enforcement could chill innovation and drive developers overseas.
The group said the Justice Department should not rely on ill-fitting interpretations of existing law.
The case has attracted attention from other crypto advocacy groups.
Coin Center previously filed a similar brief opposing the government’s legal theory.
Prosecutors also requested that Coin Center’s brief not be considered.
The brothers face charges including wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy.
If convicted, they could face up to 20 years in prison on each count.
At the time of reporting, Ethereum price was $2,964.89.