The maximal extractable value (MEV) problem, if left unchecked, could represent an existential threat to Ethereum’s core values. One might argue that it is a natural result of solving market inefficiencies, but it entices to centralisation and collusion in order to extract the highest amount of value. Additionally, through front-running and back-running, it creates unnecessary overhead, which caused up to 2.4% of the total network congestion back in DeFi summer of 2020 (according to Flashbots’ research). As current infrastructure cannot eliminate MEV altogether, Flashbots and other research groups have tried to come up with solutions to address its aftermath.

We were joined by Stephane Gosselin, co-founder of Flashbots and Frontier Research, to discuss the MEV landscape, what research breakthroughs have been recorded and how they impact DevEx and UX.

Topics covered in this episode:

• Reflecting on ‘Frontrunning the MEV crisis’
• Decentralising the MEV ‘supply chain’
• The vision behind Frontier Research
• Request-for-Quotation (RFQ) explained
• Block building
• Uniswap X and how it might impact LPs & block building
• Decentralising block building
• Proposer-builder separation (PBS)
• MEV burn
• How MEV influenced different applications’ UX
• Intents

Episode links:

• Stephane Gosselin on Twitter
• Frontier Research
• Frontier Research on Twitter
• Flashbots

This episode is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain & Felix Lutsch. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/511