Research

Formalizing MEV Theory for Provable Blockchain Security

A new formal theory for Maximal Extractable Value offers a robust framework to understand and secure blockchain systems against economic attacks.
September 26, 20252 min

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Briefing

Maximal Extractable Value (MEV) presents a critical challenge to public blockchains, manifesting as economic attacks where malicious actors exploit transaction ordering, insertion, or dropping to extract value, severely impacting DeFi protocols and user trust. This research introduces a formal theory of MEV, built upon an abstract model of blockchains and smart contracts, providing the foundational tools necessary to develop provable security mechanisms against these pervasive attacks, thereby enhancing the integrity and fairness of decentralized systems.

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Context

Prior to this research, the pervasive issue of Maximal Extractable Value (MEV) in public blockchains, while empirically observed and widely impactful on decentralized finance, lacked a sufficiently established theoretical foundation. The absence of a formal model hindered the rigorous analysis and development of provably secure countermeasures against economic attacks stemming from transaction manipulation.

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Analysis

The paper’s core mechanism involves constructing a general, abstract model of blockchains and smart contracts to formalize the concept of Maximal Extractable Value. This model fundamentally differs from previous empirical observations by providing a precise mathematical framework to define MEV attacks, encompassing the adversarial capabilities to reorder, drop, or insert transactions within a block. This foundational abstraction allows for the rigorous derivation of security proofs, moving beyond anecdotal evidence to a systematic understanding of value extraction dynamics.

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Parameters

  • Core Concept → Maximal Extractable Value (MEV)
  • New Primitive/Model → Formal MEV Theory
  • Key Authors → Massimo Bartoletti, Roberto Zunino
  • Publication Venue → arXiv
  • Latest Version Date → May 25, 2025

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Outlook

This formal theory of MEV opens significant avenues for future research, particularly in designing and formally verifying MEV-resistant blockchain architectures and smart contract protocols. Over the next three to five years, this foundational work could lead to the development of novel transaction ordering mechanisms, improved incentive designs, and more robust decentralized applications, ultimately fostering a more equitable and secure on-chain environment by mitigating the economic exploits currently plaguing the ecosystem.

This formal theory provides an indispensable framework for understanding and ultimately mitigating Maximal Extractable Value, marking a critical advancement for foundational blockchain security and economic integrity.

Signal Acquired from → arxiv.org

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maximal extractable value

Definition ∞ Maximal Extractable Value (MEV) refers to the profit that can be obtained by block producers by strategically including, excluding, or reordering transactions within a block they are creating.

decentralized finance

Definition ∞ Decentralized finance, often abbreviated as DeFi, is a system of financial services built on blockchain technology that operates without central intermediaries.

value extraction

Definition ∞ Value extraction describes processes or mechanisms within a system designed to capture and transfer economic worth from one party to another.

mev

Definition ∞ MEV, or Miner Extractable Value, represents the profit that block producers can obtain by strategically including, excluding, or reordering transactions within a block.

mev theory

Definition ∞ MEV theory, or Maximal Extractable Value theory, describes the potential profit that block producers can gain by strategically including, excluding, or reordering transactions within a block.

transaction ordering

Definition ∞ Transaction Ordering refers to the process by which transactions are arranged into a specific sequence before being included in a block on a blockchain.

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