Mempool
The waiting room for transactions before they're added to the blockchain. Transactions sit here until validators pick them up.
Example
Your swap waiting in the mempool while validators choose which transactions to include in the next block.
Related Terms
Advanced Concepts
⚙️How It Works
- 1
Broadcast
You submit a transaction to the network
- 2
Propagate
Transaction spreads to nodes across the network
- 3
Wait
Transaction sits in mempool until selected
- 4
Include
Validator picks it up and includes in a block
⚠️Risks & Warnings
- •MEV bots watch the mempool to front-run your trades
- •Transactions can get stuck if gas is too low
- •Mempool visibility enables sandwich attacks
- •Network congestion increases wait times