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Aptos launches opt-in encrypted mempool on mainnet

Aptos has launched opt-in encrypted transactions on mainnet, hiding payloads until ordering is final while leaving sender and gas-fee details visible.

BitCurrent Newsroom2 min read

Aptos launches opt-in encrypted mempool on mainnet

Aptos has launched Encrypted Mempool on mainnet, letting users hide transaction payloads until validators finalize ordering, a step aimed at curbing frontrunning and sandwich attacks. In its mainnet announcement, Aptos said the feature is optional for each transaction.

  • About 20 milliseconds of added latency per block in 50-node benchmarks.
  • Transactions are decrypted after block finalization and before execution.
  • Decryption uses a stake-weighted threshold of roughly two-thirds.

What does the encrypted mempool hide?

The client encrypts a transaction’s payload before submission, including the function call and its arguments. Validators agree on the transaction order while unable to read that payload.

The sender’s address and gas fee remain visible. Aptos says validators collectively decrypt the payload only after consensus finalizes the block, then execute the transaction.

The mechanism is designed to reduce the chance that bots can inspect pending trades and insert transactions ahead of or around them. Aptos says no single validator, or group below the two-thirds stake threshold, can decrypt a pending transaction.

How much delay does the system add?

Aptos reported roughly 20 milliseconds of added latency per block in benchmarks with 50 nodes, compared with its production AptosBFT implementation. The company says Aptos blocks finalize in under a second.

The feature is built into the protocol’s validator process. Aptos says Petra is the first wallet to offer encryption in its signing flow, while Aptos-based exchange Decibel plans to use the system for order privacy.

Does the rollout prove attacks will fall?

No usage or attack-reduction figures accompanied the launch announcement. The protection is opt-in, so the rollout does not mean every Aptos transaction is encrypted.

Cointelegraph’s report also notes the feature’s added gas cost, citing Aptos developer documentation. How widely wallets and apps adopt encrypted submissions, and how much that changes real-world MEV activity, remain open.

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