A theoretical basis for Blockchain Extractable Value

Abstract

Extractable Value refers to a wide class of economic attacks to public blockchains, where adversaries with the power to reorder, drop or insert transactions in a block can "extract" value from user transactions. Empirical research has shown that mainstream protocols, like e.g. decentralized exchanges, are massively targeted by these attacks, with detrimental effects on their users and on the blockchain network. Despite the growing impact of these attacks in the real world, theoretical foundations are still missing. In this paper we propose a formal theory of Extractable Value, based on a general, abstract model of blockchains and smart contracts. Our theory is the basis for formal proofs of security against Extractable Value attacks.