Aptos has activated its Encrypted Mempool on mainnet, giving users an optional way to keep transaction details hidden until a block is final. The feature is designed to cut the risk of MEV bo
Aptos has activated its Encrypted Mempool on mainnet, giving users an optional way to keep transaction details hidden until a block is final. The feature is designed to cut the risk of MEV bots spotting an order and trading ahead of it, according to the @Aptos announcement.
The feature, introduced through AIP-144, is optional on a transaction-by-transaction basis. When enabled, a client encrypts the transaction before submission, and block proposers can then order transactions without seeing their contents.After finality, validators collectively decrypt and execute the pending transactions.
Not everything is hidden. Sender addresses and gas fees remain visible throughout the process. That means observers can still see who is transacting and what fee they paid, but not what the transaction does.
On the security side, decryption requires the same stake-weight threshold used for block production, so a single validator, or a group representing less than two-thirds of staked voting power, cannot decrypt pending transactions on its own. Aptos' developer documentation describes the mechanism as per-epoch batch threshold encryption on BLS12-381.
TokenPost reported that a 50-node benchmark showed the system added about 20 milliseconds of latency per block, and that it passed a security review by ZKSecurity.
Petra wallet (@PetraWallet) already supports the feature. Perpetuals exchange Decibel (@DecibelTrade) plans to follow, with TokenPost noting that Decibel plans to use the encrypted mempool to protect order privacy.
The launch follows a proposal that Aptos Labs set out earlier. In its announcement, the company argued that intent visibility has fuelled a multibillion-dollar shadow market known as maximal extractable value (MEV). Aptos Labs said at the time that, if approved by governance, Aptos would be the first L1 to offer a native Encrypted Mempool.
The tool has limits. One industry guide notes that it prevents MEV extraction based on observing pending transactions, such as front-running and sandwich attacks, but not MEV based on already-executed transactions or long-running arbitrage strategies. Users who want protection will also need to opt in for each transaction through a supporting wallet or app.
For $APT holders and DeFi traders on the network, the practical effect depends on adoption by wallets and trading venues. Petra support is live, while Decibel's integration is still planned.
TokenPost: Aptos Launches Encrypted Mempool To Hide Transactions Until Finality
Aptos Labs: Introducing Encrypted Mempool, MEV protection native to Aptos
