Glossary
Encrypted Mempool
A design where pending transactions are encrypted in the mempool and decrypted only at block-inclusion time — eliminating front-running and most MEV at the source.
An encrypted mempool routes transactions through a threshold encryption scheme: the sender encrypts the transaction toward a committee of decryption keyholders, who only release the decryption shares once the block (or batch) is committed. Until then, no one — not searchers, builders, or proposers — can see the transaction's contents.
The design eliminates most front-running and sandwich-style MEV at the source. Several teams are building it (Shutter Network, Penumbra, Espresso, Aztec), with the open question of how to keep the decryption committee honest and live without sacrificing neutrality.