Maximum Extractable Value
Maximum extractable value refers to the total profit that validators or sophisticated bots can extract from the blockchain by manipulating the order of transactions. This includes activities like front-running, back-running, and sandwich attacks, where the attacker profits at the expense of regular users.
By controlling which transactions are included in a block and in what sequence, these actors can capture value that would otherwise go to the user. It is a systemic issue in current blockchain architectures that creates a conflict between protocol security and fair market execution.
Researchers are developing solutions to minimize this value extraction, such as fair sequencing services. It is a central topic in the study of market microstructure in decentralized finance.