MEV Spam Consumes 40% of Solana Blockspace, 50% of Ethereum L2s

A new report from Flashbots has highlighted a significant challenge in the blockchain ecosystem: Maximum Extractable Value (MEV) is becoming a major obstacle to blockchain scaling. The research reveals that "spam auctions" driven by MEV searchers are consuming most of the new capacity on high-throughput chains like Solana and Ethereum Layer-2s (L2s), negating scaling gains and increasing user fees.

MEV, which allows miners or bots to extract extra profit by reordering transactions, has long been a contentious issue. Flashbots’ latest findings show that the problem has escalated from an ethical debate to a measurable drag on blockchain performance. The report analyzed data from OP-Stack rollups like Base and Optimism mainnet, alongside findings from Solana, to illustrate how high-frequency arbitrage bots flood networks with speculative transactions in search of quick profits.

Researcher Bert Miller noted that bots on Solana use about 40% of its blockspace while contributing only 7% of total fees. On Ethereum L2s like Base and OP mainnet, spam bots reportedly consume more than half of the available gas but pay a fraction of the costs compared to legitimate users. Miller shared an example where Base boosted its throughput by 11 million gas per second, roughly the same as three Ethereum mainnets, only to see almost all of it absorbed by spam bots between November 2024 and February 2025.

The core issue, according to Miller, lies in how the bots operate. Private mempools, designed to shield users from frontrunning, leave MEV searchers blind to real-time order flows. Therefore, these bots deploy complex transactions on-chain to probe for arbitrage, resulting in wasted computation when no profit exists. One successful two-hop arbitrage may cost as much as 132 million gas in failed attempts, equivalent to the size of four Ethereum blocks per win. This dynamic means that while blockchains can technically expand throughput, MEV spam creates an economic ceiling that makes raw ramping up inefficient and costly for everyone else. Flashbots termed this the “dominant limit to scaling blockchains” and proposed overhauling how networks handle transaction ordering.

To address this issue, Flashbots suggested a fix that combines “programmable privacy,” which gives searchers enough visibility to avoid spam while shielding users from predatory strategies, with explicit bidding for transaction priority. This approach aims to shift competition from brute-force spamming to transparent, price-based auctions. Early experiments, such as using Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) to enforce bot behavior, are already live. Last year, Flashbots ran tests where they embedded a bot inside a secure enclave, allowing it to capture arbitrage opportunities trustlessly while preventing malicious tactics like sandwich attacks.

Other innovations, such as the idea of dark pools using zero-knowledge proof to counter the MEV menace in the decentralized finance (DeFi) space, and Chainlink’s Smart Value Recapture (SVR) solution, which enables DeFi apps to reclaim “non-toxic” MEV, are also being explored. If refined, these innovations could transform MEV from a hidden drain into a source of sustainable revenue for chains, while lowering fees for everyday users.

The true cost of MEV for blockchains is a complex issue that affects various aspects of blockchain operations. It can lead to network congestion, delays, and increased costs for users, as miners prioritize transactions that offer higher MEV opportunities. Additionally, MEV can create a situation where certain transactions are unfairly prioritized, leading to a lack of transparency and fairness in the network. The economic implications of MEV are also significant, as it can lead to a redistribution of wealth within the network, with miners who can exploit MEV earning significant profits while users who cannot pay higher fees are left at a disadvantage.

Addressing MEV requires a multi-faceted approach. Different blockchains have different mechanisms for handling MEV, and there is no consensus on the best way to address it. Some blockchains have implemented measures to reduce MEV, such as introducing randomness in transaction ordering or implementing a fee market that rewards miners for including transactions in a fair and transparent manner. However, these measures have had limited success, and MEV remains a significant issue for many blockchains.

In response to these challenges, some blockchain projects are exploring new approaches to address MEV. For example, Kaspa is a blockchain project that aims to solve real-world problems like MEV, network congestion, and scalability. Kaspa's team is working on developing a new consensus algorithm that can reduce the impact of MEV and improve the overall efficiency of the network. By addressing these issues, Kaspa hopes to create a more fair and transparent blockchain ecosystem.

The cryptocurrency community is actively exploring new ways to mitigate the effects of MEV and create a more fair and transparent blockchain ecosystem. As the technology continues to evolve, it is likely that new solutions will emerge that can address the challenges posed by MEV and create a more efficient and equitable blockchain network.