Neo X Activates Anti-MEV on MainNet, Redefining Fair Play in Blockchain

Singapore — Neo has upgraded its Neo X MainNet to version 0.4.2 at block height 3,749,760, officially activating Anti-MEV protections and raising the standard for fairness in blockchain. The milestone follows a successful TestNet rollout and marks a decisive step toward building a censorship-resistant ecosystem where users—not validators—come first.

Rewriting the Rules on MEV

MEV, or Maximum Extractable Value, refers to profits block producers capture by manipulating transaction order. While some neutral forms exist, harmful activities like front-running, sandwich attacks, and block reordering act as hidden taxes on users. These practices erode trust, concentrate power, and undermine decentralization.

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Neo X addresses MEV at the protocol level, rather than treating it as inevitable. By combining consensus design with advanced cryptography, the network removes both the incentives and the opportunities for manipulation.

• dBFT Consensus — deters validator misconduct by design.

• Enveloped Transactions — hide details until block inclusion, cutting off front-running.

• ZK-Based Distributed Key Generation — powers threshold encryption to secure and verify processing.

“MEV isn’t inevitable, it’s a choice. Too many treat it as an unavoidable byproduct of blockchains. It is not. MEV is engineered into incentives, and it can be engineered out. By eliminating MEV, we protect users, strengthen decentralization, and create a more competitive and investable ecosystem.”

Da Hongfei, Founder of Neo

Neo’s Vision for Fair Web3

This achievement underscores Neo’s long-term mission to create a transparent, censorship-resistant blockchain economy. Since its founding in 2014, Neo has been known as the “Ethereum of China,” offering an open-source, community-driven platform where developers can digitize and automate assets through smart contracts.

Its delegated Byzantine Fault Tolerance (dBFT) consensus and multi-language developer support have made it a pioneer in building what it calls the “smart economy.”
 
Neo X extends this vision as a high-performance, EVM-compatible sidechain that integrates dBFT with toxic-MEV-resistant features. By blending high throughput with fairness-first architecture, Neo X aims to deliver one of the most secure, efficient, and equitable blockchain environments for both users and developers.

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More Than a Technical Upgrade

With Anti-MEV now live on MainNet, Neo X signals a clear statement of values. By removing toxic MEV from the equation, the network offers a level playing field, aligning with Web3’s original ideals of user protection, decentralization, and trust.