So, we all know MEV is a problem on most blockchains. Searchers race, spam the network, and regular users sometimes get squeezed. Many chains try to bury the issue or minimize it.

I think @arbitrum is doing something smarter with Timeboost. They're not hiding from MEV. They're turning it into a clear product. The data proves it's working.

Since launching, Timeboost has generated over $5.5 million in fees. That's more than 1,760 ETH. Nearly all of it, 97%, goes directly back to the Arbitrum DAO treasury. This creates a sustainable revenue stream.

Here's how it works.

- An offchain auction happens every minute. Searchers bid for a special advantage.
- The winner gets to be the "express lane controller" for the next 60 seconds.
- Their transactions skip a 200ms delay that applies to everyone else.

This creates a direct revenue stream for the chain from the auction proceeds. It also changes the incentive.

Why spam the network with thousands of transactions to win a latency race when you can buy a time advantage directly?

For users, the core protection remains. Your transactions stay in a private mempool until they're sequenced. The express lane controller can't front-run you because they don't see your transaction first.

In my view, this is a more sustainable model. It acknowledges that MEV exists and finds a structured way to manage it.

The value goes back to the chain's development instead of just to offchain infrastructure races. The millions in revenue show the economic model is viable.

Builders should look at this. A chain with a built-in economic model from MEV has a new tool for sustainability.

Users get to operate in a familiar, protected environment. I'm watching to see how this approach evolves. It feels like a practical step forward.

You can read the full technical deep dive in the Arbitrum docs under the Timeboost section

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Data from @Dune dashboard: