Decibel Trade Enables Encrypted Mempool to Stop Bot Attacks
The platform now encrypts pending orders to mitigate frontrunning and sandwich attacks.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Cybersecurity
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Decibel Trade has enabled an encrypted mempool feature on the Aptos network to prevent order frontrunning and sandwich attacks. The update, which relies on validator-held keys, hides order details until transactions are processed.
Why it matters
By obscuring trade inputs before they hit the blockchain, the feature mitigates algorithmic exploitation by predatory trading bots. This is a crucial step in maintaining price integrity on decentralized exchanges as volume continues to scale.
The encryption process adds 20-27 ms of latency and a 14% transaction time overhead while maintaining a network capacity of 1,000 transactions per second.
The players
Decibel Trade
An onchain exchange platform that has processed $8.2 billion in cumulative trading volume since February 2026.
Aptos
A blockchain network that recently implemented batch threshold encryption through governance proposal AIP-144.
The details
Users encrypt order payloads directly on their client devices before transmission. Validators then use split decryption keys to reconstruct the data only after it has been batched for inclusion in a block. This mechanism prevents bots from observing unconfirmed orders—a vulnerability that enables them to buy assets before a user and sell them back at a higher price.
Timeline
February 2026: Decibel Trade launched on mainnet.
October 12, 2026: Aptos activated governance proposal AIP-144.
October 21, 2026: Decibel Trade enabled the Encrypted Mempool.
The Tech Race
Decibel Trade is the first platform to leverage the encryption standards established by Aptos governance proposal AIP-144. This marks a shift toward standardized mempool protection to counter the competitive advantage currently held by high-speed arbitrage bots.
Active traders on Decibel Trade will see their order details obscured while pending, preventing bots from jumping ahead of their trades. Users should expect a minor increase in transaction overhead, though the system is designed to support 1,000 transactions per second.
The takeaway
The implementation of threshold encryption represents a move toward making decentralized exchanges as resilient as their centralized counterparts. Users should monitor network performance during upcoming periods of high market volatility to see if the 14% overhead remains stable.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest developments in platform security in our Cybersecurity section.
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