MEV

MEV — Maximal Extractable Value — is the profit validators (and searchers) squeeze by reordering, including, or censoring transactions: front-running your

MEV — Maximal Extractable Value — is the profit validators (and searchers) squeeze by reordering, including, or censoring transactions: front-running your swap, sandwiching your trade, or sniping liquidations. If your transaction sits visible in the mempool, someone is pricing how to exploit it.

Why it matters

MEV is a hidden tax on every user and a centralization engine: sophisticated operators out-earn honest validators, concentrating stake and builder power. It’s also why private mempools, encrypted transactions, and proposer-builder separation exist — the ecosystem’s immune response to its own transparency.

Related terms

mempool ·
front-running · validator

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