🏃 Front-Running: MEV Attacks Explained
Learn how bots exploit transaction ordering for profit
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0 / 5 completedWhat is Front-Running?
Front-running is a **Maximal Extractable Value (MEV)** attack where bots monitor the public mempool for profitable transactions, then submit their own transactions with higher gas prices to get executed first. This allows attackers to profit from price movements before the victim's transaction completes.
The attack is possible because **all pending transactions are visible** in the mempool before being included in a block. Sophisticated bots scan for large trades, calculate expected profit, and race to front-run with gas price bidding wars.
💰 Sandwich Attack Example
The most common form of front-running is the "sandwich attack":
Interactive: Transaction Race Visualizer
Watch how a front-running bot intercepts and profits from a victim's transaction in real-time.
👤 Victim Transaction
🤖 MEV Bot Attack
Real-World Impact
Why Front-Running Works
🔍 Transparent Mempool
All pending transactions are publicly visible, allowing bots to analyze and react before block inclusion.
⛽ Gas Price Auctions
Higher gas prices get priority ordering, enabling attackers to pay to jump ahead in the execution queue.
💹 Price Impact
Large trades move market prices, creating predictable profit opportunities for those who execute first.
⚡ Low Latency Advantage
Bots with direct RPC connections and optimized infrastructure can detect and execute faster than retail users.