Flashbots Protect

Flashbots Protect is a privacy-preserving Ethereum RPC endpoint built to shield users from front-running, sandwich attacks, and other forms of harmful Maximal Extractable Value (MEV). By routing transactions through Flashbots’ private relay infrastructure instead of the public mempool, Protect ensures that transactions remain hidden until they are executed on-chain. This design significantly improves execution quality for users interacting with decentralized exchanges and other MEV-sensitive DeFi protocols.

Unlike standard Ethereum RPC providers that broadcast transactions publicly, Flashbots Protect submits transactions directly into a private block-building pipeline. Transactions sent through Protect are never visible to mempool observers or MEV bots. They are either included atomically in a block exactly as submitted or dropped entirely without exposure, preventing adversarial actors from reordering, copying, or exploiting transaction data before confirmation.

Flashbots Protect is fully non-custodial, meaning users retain complete control over their funds and transaction signing at all times. It does not require smart contract changes, protocol integrations, or custom tooling — users simply switch their RPC endpoint to begin using it. This makes Protect an easy drop-in solution for wallets, traders, and applications seeking safer transaction execution without sacrificing decentralization or usability.

The service is permissionless and free to use, lowering the barrier to MEV protection for everyday Ethereum users. Flashbots Protect is particularly valuable for traders executing swaps, DAO treasuries submitting large transactions, and dApps that want to offer users improved protection against predatory trading behavior. By removing mempool visibility from the transaction lifecycle, Flashbots Protect helps restore fairness and predictability to Ethereum transaction execution.