Definition
Flashbots is a research and development organization and infrastructure provider focused on mitigating and structuring maximal extractable value (MEV) in blockchain systems, primarily on Ethereum. It operates as an ecosystem of tools, protocols, and marketplaces that coordinate order flow between searchers, block builders, and validators, with the goal of making MEV extraction more transparent, explicit, and accessible to network participants.
In Simple Terms
Flashbots is a specialized infrastructure project that organizes how profitable transaction opportunities around MEV are discovered and sent to validators. It creates structured channels and tools for handling these transactions, aiming to make MEV-related activity more open and coordinated within the broader blockchain environment.
Context and Usage
Flashbots is typically discussed in the context of Ethereum’s transaction supply chain, MEV research, and validator revenue optimization. It is relevant to conversations about mempool dynamics, private order flow, gas auction mechanisms, and the separation of block building from block proposing. The term often appears in technical debates on protocol design, economic incentives, and the interaction between on-chain execution and off-chain coordination.