Unchained

Why MEV Will Always Be Controversial - Ep. 482

Apr 18, 2023

In this enlightening discussion, Justin Drake, a researcher at the Ethereum Foundation, and Uri Klarman, CEO of bloXroute Labs, dive into the complexities of maximal extractable value (MEV) in the Ethereum ecosystem. They explore how MEV has evolved and its controversial nature. Highlights include debates on the MEV Blocker, the balance between back-running and front-running, insights on proposer-builder separation, and the potential benefits of MEV burn. Their differing perspectives spark a thought-provoking conversation about the future of fairness in blockchain.

01:10:15

Creator website

Episode guests

Uri Klarman

Justin Drake

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Episode notes

Intro

4min

Unpacking Maximum Extractable Value (MEV)

7min

Navigating the Complexities of Maximal Extractable Value

5min

Navigating Transaction Inclusion in Blockchain

14min

Exploring the Impact of Staking and Validation in Cryptocurrency

3min

Exploring MEV and the Concept of MEV Burn

5min

Navigating the MEV Landscape

19min

Security Challenges in DeFi and Ethereum Innovations

14min

Maximal extractable value, or MEV, is a mainstay of the Ethereum landscape. But the process of validators reaping profits from handling new blocks is not without controversy. Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake and bloXroute Labs CEO Uri Klarman assess the current state of MEV. Hear them disagree about the path forward for making Ethereum fairer for all its economic actors.

Show highlights:

what MEV is and how it has evolved over time
the nuances of the newly proposed MEV Blocker and why it’s important for users
whether it’s possible to enable “back-running” while preventing front-running
how to give power back to blockchain users
what the differences and similarities are among several projects trying to solve MEV
how “MEV Burn” will be like the EIP-1559 to what Justin calls contention
whether EigenLayer can help solve MEV problems
whether wallets and DEXs could be doing something different to prevent MEV and generate more revenue
how “exclusive order flow” could be detrimental to DeFi users
what proposer-builder separation (PBS) is and whether it will change MEV distribution
why Uri doesn’t think PBS is the right step forward for Ethereum

Thank you to our sponsors!

Crypto.com

Halborn

Guests:

Justin Drake, researcher at the Ethereum Foundation
Uri Klarman, CEO of bloXroute Labs

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