A MEV Arbitrage Bot Operator Earns $1.8 Million Profit on Solana Network
A bot operator known as 2Fast made a staggering profit of $1.8 million from a single transaction bundle on the Solana network. In just 20 seconds, 703 SOL (valued at around $70,000) was converted into 19,035 SOL (approximately $1.9 million). Out of the profit, 890 SOL was given as a tip to Figment, a network validator.
This profitable move was achieved through a MEV (Miner Extractable Value) strategy targeting trades of the meme coin dogwifhat (WIF). The execution tool developed by Jito Labs played a crucial role in capturing the MEV and bidding for transaction bundle inclusion on Solana, similar to Ethereum’s Flashbots.
Back-Running Opportunity for MEV Operators
Due to a trader mistakenly placing an order in a low-liquidity pool, they ended up spending close to $9 million to acquire dogwifhat (WIF) at a significantly higher price than its market rate. This created an opportunity for MEV operators to engage in back-running, capitalizing on temporary price movements caused by the trader’s transaction.
Back-running bots constantly monitor the mempool and prepare their own transactions to follow target transactions. In this case, 2Fast earned nearly $1.8 million, and other bots also took advantage of the situation.
Jito Labs and the Jito Block Engine
Jito Labs developed the Jito Block Engine, an off-chain blockspace auction system that enables traders to submit transaction bundles along with bids for inclusion in the blockchain. This mechanism enhances transaction execution reliability on the Solana network.
MEV tips earned in SOL from these transactions are directed to validators running the Jito client on Solana.
Hot Take: The Lucrative World of MEV Arbitrage on Solana
The recent $1.8 million profit made by 2Fast highlights the potential for significant earnings through MEV arbitrage on the Solana network. With the development of tools like the Jito Block Engine, traders and bot operators can identify and exploit opportunities for back-running, taking advantage of temporary price fluctuations caused by other transactions. While this specific case involved a trader’s costly mistake, it serves as a reminder of the profitability that can be achieved in the crypto market. As Solana continues to grow and attract more participants, MEV strategies are likely to play an increasingly important role in maximizing profits.