Maximum Extractable Value (MEV) Mitigation Approaches in Ethereum and Layer-2 Chains: A Comprehensive Survey

Maximal Extractable Value (MEV) represents a pivotal challenge within the Ethereum ecosystem; it impacts the fairness, security, and efficiency of both Layer 1 (L1) and Layer 2 (L2) networks. MEV arises when miners or validators manipulate transaction ordering (e.g., front-running) to extract additi...

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Main Authors: Zeinab Alipanahloo, Abdelhakim Senhaji Hafid, Kaiwen Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IEEE 2024-01-01
Series:IEEE Access
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Online Access:https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10787131/
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author Zeinab Alipanahloo
Abdelhakim Senhaji Hafid
Kaiwen Zhang
author_facet Zeinab Alipanahloo
Abdelhakim Senhaji Hafid
Kaiwen Zhang
author_sort Zeinab Alipanahloo
collection DOAJ
description Maximal Extractable Value (MEV) represents a pivotal challenge within the Ethereum ecosystem; it impacts the fairness, security, and efficiency of both Layer 1 (L1) and Layer 2 (L2) networks. MEV arises when miners or validators manipulate transaction ordering (e.g., front-running) to extract additional value, often at the expense of other network participants. This not only affects user experience by introducing unpredictability and potential financial losses but also threatens the underlying principles of decentralization and trust. Given the growing complexity of blockchain applications, particularly with the increase of Decentralized Finance (DeFi) protocols, it is crucial to address the issue and reduce the impact of MEV. This paper presents a comprehensive survey of MEV mitigation techniques as applied to both Ethereum’s L1 and various L2 solutions. We provide a novel categorization of mitigation strategies. We also describe the challenges, ranging from transaction sequencing and cryptographic methods to reconfiguring decentralized applications (DApps) to reduce front-running opportunities. We investigate their effectiveness, implementation challenges, and impact on network performance. By synthesizing current research, real-world applications, and emerging trends, this paper aims to provide a detailed roadmap for researchers, developers, and policymakers to understand and combat MEV in an evolving blockchain landscape.
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spelling doaj-art-65b3bc48350e480ab492a9ba98c7153d2025-08-20T02:38:51ZengIEEEIEEE Access2169-35362024-01-011218521218523110.1109/ACCESS.2024.351437510787131Maximum Extractable Value (MEV) Mitigation Approaches in Ethereum and Layer-2 Chains: A Comprehensive SurveyZeinab Alipanahloo0https://orcid.org/0009-0008-9792-9102Abdelhakim Senhaji Hafid1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8597-7344Kaiwen Zhang2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5599-0190Department of Software and IT Engineering, École de Technologie Supérieure, Montreal, QC, CanadaDepartment of Computer Science and Operational Research, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, CanadaDepartment of Software and IT Engineering, École de Technologie Supérieure, Montreal, QC, CanadaMaximal Extractable Value (MEV) represents a pivotal challenge within the Ethereum ecosystem; it impacts the fairness, security, and efficiency of both Layer 1 (L1) and Layer 2 (L2) networks. MEV arises when miners or validators manipulate transaction ordering (e.g., front-running) to extract additional value, often at the expense of other network participants. This not only affects user experience by introducing unpredictability and potential financial losses but also threatens the underlying principles of decentralization and trust. Given the growing complexity of blockchain applications, particularly with the increase of Decentralized Finance (DeFi) protocols, it is crucial to address the issue and reduce the impact of MEV. This paper presents a comprehensive survey of MEV mitigation techniques as applied to both Ethereum’s L1 and various L2 solutions. We provide a novel categorization of mitigation strategies. We also describe the challenges, ranging from transaction sequencing and cryptographic methods to reconfiguring decentralized applications (DApps) to reduce front-running opportunities. We investigate their effectiveness, implementation challenges, and impact on network performance. By synthesizing current research, real-world applications, and emerging trends, this paper aims to provide a detailed roadmap for researchers, developers, and policymakers to understand and combat MEV in an evolving blockchain landscape.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10787131/Blockchain technologyDeFi protocolsEthereumfair orderingMEVprivacy-preserving methods
spellingShingle Zeinab Alipanahloo
Abdelhakim Senhaji Hafid
Kaiwen Zhang
Maximum Extractable Value (MEV) Mitigation Approaches in Ethereum and Layer-2 Chains: A Comprehensive Survey
IEEE Access
Blockchain technology
DeFi protocols
Ethereum
fair ordering
MEV
privacy-preserving methods
title Maximum Extractable Value (MEV) Mitigation Approaches in Ethereum and Layer-2 Chains: A Comprehensive Survey
title_full Maximum Extractable Value (MEV) Mitigation Approaches in Ethereum and Layer-2 Chains: A Comprehensive Survey
title_fullStr Maximum Extractable Value (MEV) Mitigation Approaches in Ethereum and Layer-2 Chains: A Comprehensive Survey
title_full_unstemmed Maximum Extractable Value (MEV) Mitigation Approaches in Ethereum and Layer-2 Chains: A Comprehensive Survey
title_short Maximum Extractable Value (MEV) Mitigation Approaches in Ethereum and Layer-2 Chains: A Comprehensive Survey
title_sort maximum extractable value mev mitigation approaches in ethereum and layer 2 chains a comprehensive survey
topic Blockchain technology
DeFi protocols
Ethereum
fair ordering
MEV
privacy-preserving methods
url https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10787131/
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