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Dark Pools Dominate Ethereum as Private Transactions Surge – at Least by One Measure

More transactions on the blockchain are getting routed privately as users try to avoid front-running bots that eat into trading margins, but network observers worry about a loss of transparency – and potentially a trend toward centralization.

Updated Aug 21, 2024, 7:49 p.m. Published Aug 20, 2024, 1:00 p.m.
More Ethereum transactions are going private, getting sent directly to validators in a so-called "dark pool" arrangement (Hubert Robert/Metropolitan Museum of Art, modified by CoinDesk using Photomosh)
More Ethereum transactions are going private, getting sent directly to validators in a so-called "dark pool" arrangement (Hubert Robert/Metropolitan Museum of Art, modified by CoinDesk using Photomosh)