Aptos rolls out Encrypted Mempool to curb frontrunning, sandwich attacks
Summary
Aptos has launched an optional Encrypted Mempool feature on mainnet to help protect users from MEV tactics such as frontrunning and sandwich attacks. Compatible wallets encrypt transaction details before submission; validators finalize transaction order without seeing the contents, then collectively decrypt them for execution. Sender addresses and gas fees remain visible. Aptos says the design prevents bots from exploiting pending orders and uses the chain’s existing validators for both ordering and decryption. The feature adds a small delay—about 20 milliseconds per block in tests—and requires a minimum gas price twice the network base minimum. Aptos says it is aimed at institutions, traders, AI agents and developers.
