Transparency is one of the foundational features of blockchains, but it enabled value extraction by controlling the order and inclusion of transactions within a block, known as MEV, or maximal extractable value. This problem is common on most blockchains and is rooted in the public nature of mempools, a ledger that stores pending transactions data. This information allowed block producers and other actors to benefit from frontrunning transactions.
The partnership centers on sequencing, the behind-the-scenes process that determines how quickly a transaction confirms, which trades are prioritized, and how much users ultimately pay. Optimism says Flashbots' infrastructure, which is already responsible for building more than 90% of Ethereum's blocks, will now bring near-instant confirmations and user-friendly transaction ordering to every chain in the so-called Superchain. This matters because