Pyth Network introduces Express Relay, aiming to reduce MEV in DeFi

Pyth Network has launched Express Relay on mainnet, introducing a decentralized solution to the issue of Miner Extractable Value (MEV) in DeFi transactions.

The Pyth Network provides real-time market data for blockchain applications, focusing on securely and inexpensively bringing latency-sensitive financial data on-chain.

This new product connects DeFi protocols directly with a network of established searchers through protocol-controlled auctions, eliminating the role of miners and enhancing market efficiency. Searchers integrated with Express Relay include Flow Traders, Wintermute, Auros, Flowdesk, Caladan, Tokka Labs, and Swaap Finance.

MEV issues for DeFi

MEV traditionally allows miners or validators to capture most of the value from DeFi transactions through tips for blockspace. However, MEV poses several significant challenges to blockchain ecosystems, particularly DeFi.

It can lead to increased transaction costs and network congestion as miners and validators compete to extract value, potentially pricing out regular users. MEV practices like front-running and sandwich attacks can also result in unfair advantages for sophisticated actors, eroding trust in the system and potentially deterring wider adoption. Additionally, the concentration of MEV extraction capabilities among a few powerful entities threatens the decentralization ethos of blockchain networks, as it can lead to the centralization of power and influence.

Finally, in extreme cases, the pursuit of MEV could incentivize malicious behaviors like blockchain reorganizations, jeopardizing the integrity and security of the entire network. These issues collectively underscore why MEV is considered a significant problem that requires careful consideration and innovative solutions to maintain the fairness, efficiency, and decentralization of blockchain systems.

How Express Relay fixes MEV issues

Express Relay changes this dynamic by awarding transaction rights to the searcher with the most competitive bid and removing miners from the process. This setup encourages aggressive competition among searchers over transaction value and allows DeFi protocols to increase liquidation reward incentives. As a result, protocols can save money, which can be redirected to more productive initiatives or passed on to users.

Protocols such as Synthetix, Zerolend, Ionic, Synonym, Keom, Jax Finance, Vela Exchange, and Fulcrom Finance, representing $1 billion in total locked value across 11 blockchains, have integrated or are in the process of integrating with Express Relay to mitigate the impact of MEV. This integration significantly reduces the costs associated with critical operations like setting liquidation rewards.

Express Relay also facilitates the deployment of new protocols by providing access to an established network of searchers, reducing the need for protocols to build their own liquidator and searcher networks. It aggregates valuable DeFi transaction opportunities across multiple protocols and blockchains for searchers, streamlining access and reducing negotiation and integration costs.

The launch of Express Relay was showcased at the inaugural Pyth Agora 2024 summit during the Ethereum Community Conference on July 11. The primitive is owned and governed by the Pyth DAO. Key figures from the industry, including Michael Lie of Flow Traders, Tim Wu of Wintermute, Matt Losquadro of Synthetix, and Ryker of ZeroLend, have expressed their support and enthusiasm for the initiative.

Wu, Head of DeFi of Wintermute, commented, 

“Express Relay is a natural progression from Pyth’s core oracle production. It ambitiously serves to reduce value extraction by intermediaries and improve liquidation execution efficiency, effectively tackling this form of MEV.”

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