Decibel Trade officially enabled an Encrypted Mempool feature on its decentralized exchange on October 21, 2026. The integration positions Decibel as the first platform to implement the Aptos network’s native anti-MEV technology. Through the new mechanism, traders can conceal order instruction payloads from validators until transactions have completed consensus processing.
The data protection applies selectively to transaction elements. Encrypted information includes function calls and trading parameters, while sender wallet addresses and gas fees remain visible on the network. This setup ensures validators can still verify transactions without needing to know the details of users’ trading strategies.
Decibel operates as an onchain order-book exchange incubated by Aptos Labs and has been live on mainnet since February 2026. The rollout of encrypted mempool technology marks the exchange’s latest step in leveraging security upgrades at the Aptos protocol layer.
How Key Shares Prevent Validator Peeking
The technical foundation of the system references Aptos Improvement Proposal 144 (AIP-144). Authored by Aptos Labs cryptographer Rex Fernando, the proposal relies on a batch threshold encryption mechanism. Encryption keys are generated per epoch, with validators holding separate key shares and unable to read transaction contents on their own.
The decryption threshold is weighted according to validators’ stake in Aptos consensus. Order data can only be jointly decrypted by validators after consensus has finalized block ordering. This division-of-authority rule prevents any single validator from peeking at orders in the mempool to execute frontrunning or sandwich attacks.
20-Millisecond Latency and Ecosystem Readiness
Performance benchmark results across 50 nodes showed an added latency of only around 20 milliseconds per block. Alongside this modest delay, the system architecture is designed to support throughput of over 1,000 transactions per second (TPS).
Software support also requires no overhaul to the existing application layer. Move smart contracts already operating in the Aptos ecosystem require no code modifications whatsoever. On the user side, Petra became the first Web3 wallet to integrate this encrypted transaction signing.
The optional feature gives traders direct control at the transaction level, enabling order protection during execution without concerns that their positions will be read by validators before being included in a block.
Reported via crypto.news.
Also read: What Is DeFi (Decentralized Finance)?
Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only, not financial advice. Cryptocurrency assets are highly volatile and carry significant risk. Always do your own research (DYOR) and never invest more than you can afford to lose.
