Key Highlights
- SMG, a Consensys division, acquires MEV Blocker RPC from CoW DAO
- MEV Blocker has served 4.5M+ users and returned over 6,100 ETH in rebates
- The move strengthens Consensys’ push toward transparent, user-aligned MEV markets
Consensys, a blockchain software company has acquired MEV Blocker RPC through its Special Mechanisms Group (SMG), bringing one of Ethereum’s most widely adopted MEV protection tools directly into its ecosystem. The acquisition was announced on January 26 and marks a strategic step to expand user-aligned transaction execution across the network.
MEV Blocker, originally developed alongside CoW DAO, is designed to prevent harmful forms of maximal extractable value (MEV) such as frontrunning and sandwich attacks. Instead, it routes transactions through transparent backrunning auctions that aim to return value to users rather than intermediaries.
Why MEV Blocker matters
Since launch, MEV Blocker has been used by more than 4.5 million unique wallets and has distributed roughly 6,177 ETH in rebates, according to Consensys. Benchmark studies have also shown it delivers faster transaction inclusion compared with public mempool routing, helping users avoid exploitative execution while maintaining speed.
By absorbing MEV Blocker, SMG takes ownership of infrastructure that already operates at scale. SMG is Consensys’ internal mechanism design unit, focused on building censorship-resistant and economically aligned systems across Ethereum.
“MEV Blocker set the standard for user-aligned MEV protection,” said Wanyi Dai Li, head of SMG, adding that the acquisition allows the team to push transparent backrunning auctions further across the ecosystem.
Transition from CoW DAO
CoW DAO, which pioneered MEV-protected decentralized trading through CoW Protocol and CoW Swap, said it will support the transition to ensure continuity for users. While MEV Blocker moves under Consensys’ umbrella, CoW DAO plans to remain focused on scaling MEV protection directly at the DEX and protocol level.
Anna George, co-founder of CoW DAO, said SMG was selected for its technical depth and alignment with MEV Blocker’s original mission, emphasizing that stewardship mattered as much as scale.
Consensus eyes for an IPO
The move comes as Consensys accelerates a broader growth push. The company behind MetaMask, Infura, and Linea has been expanding across wallets, infrastructure, and Layer 2 scaling, while also laying the groundwork for a potential IPO reportedly backed by JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs.
With regulatory pressure easing and institutional interest returning to Ethereum infrastructure, folding MEV Blocker into SMG positions Consensys to offer deeper execution guarantees at the RPC layer, an increasingly critical battleground as on-chain activity grows more competitive.
What comes next
Under SMG, MEV Blocker is expected to remain operational while being expanded to reach a broader share of Ethereum users and builders. The long-term goal, Consensys said, is to make fair execution the default rather than an opt-in feature.
As MEV concerns shift from niche research topic to mainstream user issue, the acquisition signals that execution quality, and who benefits from it, is becoming core infrastructure, not an afterthought.
Also read: Polygon Labs Acquires Coinme and Sequence to Launch Open Money Stack
