Encrypt
the Mempool!

Since 2020, more than $1.8 billion has been drained from Ethereum users through MEV, much of it from malicious tactics like front running and sandwich attacks. Encrypted mempools hide transaction contents until ordering is fixed, removing the visibility that attackers rely on. This makes front running much more difficult.

Today, users must hunt for protected DEXs, special wallets, or custom RPCs for malicious MEV protection. As a result, protection is fragmented and can be missed, especially by newcomers.

In the long run, a native encrypted mempool moves Ethereum toward a future where users are protected against front running, sandwich attacks, and real-time censorship by default.

In the near term, this EIP enables wallets to give their users this protection, without relying on private infrastructure or trusted intermediaries that introduce additional risk.

Private mempools, commonly used via private RPCs, are a popular way Ethereum users protect themselves against toxic MEV. But they still rely on a small group of operators who can see your transaction and must be trusted not to attack it. That visibility creates a real point of failure.

By contrast, encrypted mempools keep transactions hidden from everyone. No operator, partner, future sequencer, or infrastructure provider can see transactions until it's confirmed.

Learn more about the difference between private mempools and encryption mempools.

Serious liquidity and institutional users need confidence that their transactions cannot be exploited.

Encrypted mempools reduce reliance on trusted intermediaries and address concerns that previously hampered Ethereum adoption.

This is the level of protection Ethereum needs.

Not all MEV is bad. Encrypted mempools protect against front running and sandwich attacks (which is generally considered to be the major source of bad MEV), while still allowing arbitrage, liquidations, and back-running which is considered good MEV.

Learn more about the difference between good and bad MEV.

Now that ePBS and FOCIL are on the Ethereum roadmap, encrypted mempools can join them to create a powerful protection system. Together they create a strong, three-part defense against censorship, making sure your transaction is included on time and cannot be filtered or delayed.

Learn more about the Holy Trinity for Censorship Resistance on Ethereum (FOCIL x ePBS x Encrypted Mempools).

Today most Ethereum blocks are built by a few high performance builders who gain early access to transaction contents. This concentration reduces Ethereum's censorship resistance guarantees. Encrypted mempools are a countermeasure that enables users to hide transaction content from builders and thereby make censorship much more difficult.