Performances
Comparison
Details
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Flashbots is a research and development organization focused on transparency and mitigation of Maximal Extractable Value (MEV). It builds open-source infrastructure such as MEV-Boost for proposer-builder separation, BuilderNet for decentralized block building, Rollup-Boost for rollup sequencing, and Protect RPC and MEV-Share to safeguard user transactions. Usage involves integrating related products via its documentation and code, enabling validators, builders, and users to participate in a fairer block production process.
Sub Organizations
About Flashbots
Flashbots was founded in 2020, born out of Ethereum's MEV crisis. In November 2020, it open-sourced MEV-geth and proposed the Flashbots Auction, outsourcing block construction via sealed bids to reduce the negative externalities of MEV extraction. In January 2021, Flashbots Alpha launched, enabling mass adoption by mining pools and democratizing participation in MEV.
In September 2022, MEV-Boost was activated after The Merge, achieving Proposer-Builder Separation (PBS) and allowing validators to source blocks from a competitive marketplace — becoming critical infrastructure in the PoS era. In 2023, MEV-Share was introduced, letting users internalize MEV from their transactions and receive refunds; suave-geth was also open-sourced and the Toliman testnet launched, advancing the SUAVE vision of decentralized block building.
In July 2024, the rbuilder client was open-sourced to promote competition. In November 2024, BuilderNet launched, jointly operated by Flashbots, Beaverbuild and Nethermind, using TEEs for multi-operator collaboration, encrypted order flow sharing, and MEV redistribution. In December 2024, Flashbots ceased operating centralized block builders and fully migrated to BuilderNet, marking its shift from intermediary to decentralized network. In February 2025, BuilderNet v1.2 enhanced verifiability and security. Together, these milestones trace a long-term evolution from MEV extraction to decentralized block building.
Over the past six months (2026-03-07 to 2026-09-07), Flashbots has made significant strides. Its legacy relay business saw daily block share drop to ~2.4% as neutral relays (Ultra Sound, Titan, Aestus) captured >70%, reflecting market-driven censorship resistance. Concurrently, Flashbots advanced SUAVE (Single Unifying Auction for Value Expression), its cross-chain encrypted mempool and sequencing layer, into production testing. SUAVE aims to return MEV to users and reduce front-running. Protocol-level proposals, including EIP-8184 (LUCID, commit-before-reveal) and EIP-8105 (Universal Enshrined Encrypted Mempool), gained traction, with Flashbots contributing to their design. Official roadmap focuses on scaling SUAVE across chains, integrating with rollups, and fostering neutral block building. Flashbots is pivoting from relay operator to core MEV infrastructure provider, prioritizing encrypted transaction flows and decentralized sequencing over compliant relays.
Co-founders:
Alejo Salles: Co-founder of Flashbots. Previously Director of Research and Analysis at OpenZeppelin. Holds a PhD in Physics from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and a Master's in Physics from the University of Buenos Aires.
Tina Zhen: Co-founder of Flashbots. Previously co-founder and CMO of EdgeOn.
Phil Daian: Co-founder of Flashbots. Lead author of the paper "Flash Boys 2.0" that defined MEV. Was a PhD student at Cornell Tech, affiliated with IC3.
Core executive:
Ahmed Ghappour: General Counsel at Flashbots. Former law professor (Boston University, UC Hastings) and attorney specializing in national security, cybercrime, and privacy. Holds a J.D. from NYU School of Law.