How Private Relay Networks Enable Ethereum Transactions to Bypass Public Queues

In the Ethereum ecosystem, contention transparency often falters as private relay networks such as Flashbots and Taichi facilitate off-chain transaction delivery directly to miners. This practice allows nearly all major mining pools to receive and include transactions privately, effectively bypassing the public mempool view. An active test demonstrated that Babel Pool, utilizing Taichi/SparkPool relays, received transactions off-chain and included them seamlessly, highlighting vulnerabilities in the reliance on public mempool transparency for transaction ordering. This emerging trend raises concerns about network fairness, transparency, and the potential for front-running, emphasizing the need for robust mechanisms to preserve decentralized transaction validation and prevent undue advantages gained through private relays.