Researchers Developed New Batched Threshold Encryption
A new construction secures mempools against extraction attacks using post-quantum cryptographic primitives.
Updated on Oct. 14, 2026 in Quantum Computing
Researchers have developed a tree-based batched threshold encryption construction designed to mitigate maximal extractable value (MEV) in encrypted mempools. This cryptographic method, presented in a research paper, uses symmetric and public-key encryption schemes capable of supporting various post-quantum hardness assumptions.
Why it matters
By batching encrypted transactions, this construction reduces the computational overhead required to protect blockchain mempools from front-running and other MEV-related extraction attacks. It provides a scalable approach to maintaining privacy in decentralized networks.
The RLWE-based implementation processes 1,024 messages with a 0.89 MB ciphertext size and a 20-second single-thread decryption time. Comparatively, the DDH-based version handles 1,000 messages with a 41 ms computation time in a 100-of-300 server threshold setting.
The details
The construction organizes ciphertexts within an index space, using a symmetric-key scheme homomorphic—meaning it allows computation on encrypted data without revealing the underlying content—over message and key spaces. A thresholdizable public-key encryption scheme allows a subset of servers to collectively decrypt messages, supporting complex security assumptions like Learning With Errors (LWE). Servers utilize single-thread computation to perform the threshold decryption process across the tree-based structure.
Timeline
October 13, 2026: The research paper was published.
The Tech Race
This development advances the field of encrypted mempools by shifting from individual transaction protection to highly scalable batching. It directly competes with existing, computationally intensive threshold schemes currently being tested in decentralized finance protocols.
This research provides a framework for future blockchain developers to implement more robust privacy and fairness protections for user transactions. As the construction is currently research-stage, integration into live network protocols will require further optimization for real-time throughput.
The takeaway
This construction establishes a scalable pathway for securing transaction mempools against advanced extraction threats. Developers should watch for future benchmarking on decentralized testnets to determine the practical latency impact of these threshold decryption times.
Further reading
Explore the latest developments in secure, privacy-preserving infrastructure on our Quantum Computing page.
More information
Access the complete academic research paper to review the cryptographic proofs.
