Front-Run
DeFi
Acting on knowledge of pending orders to gain advantage.
Front running takes advantage of visibility into pending transactions. Searchers send competing orders with higher fees to get mined first. To reduce risk, set tight slippage, consider private order flow, and review approvals.
Frequently asked questions
How does front running happen?
Transactions sit in public mempools before inclusion. Searchers read the queue and submit competing transactions with higher fees.How can users reduce exposure?
Use private relays or submit with limits and reasonable slippage. Avoid wide approvals during swaps.Are there mitigations at protocol level?
Designs like batch auctions, frequent batch clearing, or privacy layers can help.