As an experienced analyst in the blockchain industry, I have witnessed firsthand how sandwich attacks can negatively impact users and undermine trust in decentralized networks. The recent decision by the Solana Foundation to remove validator operators involved in such malicious activities is a commendable step towards maintaining network security and ensuring fairness for all users.


As a network analyst, I’ve noticed that sandwich bots have been causing significant disruptions to the Solana blockchain for an extended period. In response to these malicious activities, the Solana Foundation has taken decisive action by expelling certain validator operators from its delegation program.

As an analyst, I would describe it this way: I discovered that certain operators were implicated in executing “sandwich attacks” against Solana users, leading me to make the decision based on this information.

Solana Foundation’s Final Word

As a researcher studying the Solana blockchain community, I’ve come across information from the foundation’s Discord channel where Tim Garcia, the Validator Relations Lead, made it clear that certain decisions are non-negotiable. He went on to explain that enforcement action will be taken against operators observed engaging in mempool activities facilitating sandwich attacks.

“If you’re caught participating in such prohibited activities, not only will you be expelled from the program, but your stake with the Foundation will be irrevocably forfeited.”

Mert Mumtaz, the co-founder of Helius, Solana’s RPC provider, stated that this action is taken to prevent the foundation from assigning validator roles to individuals who may carry out harmful attacks against regular users.

Mumtaz explained that sandwich attacks represent a harmful type of Maximal Extractable Value (MEV) strategy, which guarantees unfavorable deals for retail consumers while the attackers reap all the benefits. Although Solana’s architecture intrinsically thwarts such attacks, some malicious actors manipulated their validators to facilitate sandwiching.

In the future, it is anticipated that stake pools will implement comparable measures to prevent sandwich attacks.

“Sandwich Attacks”

As an analyst, I’m glad to report that the foundation’s move comes as a relief, given the prevalence of sandwich attacks on the Solana network. Sandwich attacks, which are among the most frequent types of MEV (Minimal Extractable Value), involve bots scanning the network for users intending to buy a token. These bots then preempt users by placing large orders ahead of their transactions in the queue.

As a researcher studying market dynamics, I’ve observed that employing such a tactic can significantly boost a token’s value. When a user executes a trade at this inflated price point, it creates an opportunity for bots to capitalize on the situation. These bots then sell their tokens at the newly established higher price, thus profiting from the artificial price surge they initiated, leaving the user with a less favorable deal.

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2024-06-11 07:26