The optional feature hides transaction details until their order is finalized, preventing bots from exploiting pending trades.

Layer-1 blockchain Aptos has launched an optional new feature that could help shield traders from attacks involving maximal extractable value (MEV), including frontrunning and sandwich attacks.

On Monday, Aptos said its Encrypted Mempool feature is now live on its mainnet, allowing users to opt in to keep pending transactions encrypted until their block ordering is finalized. Aptos said the feature was built for institutions submitting large transactions to the chain, traders wanting to avoid MEV risk, AI agents and builders.

“When you send a transaction on any major chain today, anyone watching the network can see the details before it executes, the function you’re calling, the assets and amounts involved, and the contracts you’re interacting with,” Aptos said. “Bots use that visibility to trade against you or copy your strategy.”

Sandwich attacks, one form of MEV attack, cost Ethereum traders about $60 million over the 12 months through October 2025, according to Cointelegraph’s analysis of EigenPhi data. On Solana, sandwich attacks generated $29.7 million for bots over an 11-month period examined by Bitquery, which identified nearly 6.9 million attacks affecting about 2.2 million wallets.

When a user opts in, a compatible wallet or app encrypts the transaction’s contents on their device before sending it to Aptos. Details such as the assets and amounts involved stay hidden, while the sender’s address and gas fee remain visible.

The encrypted transaction enters the mempool, which is where pending transactions wait to be included in a block.

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