Do Centralized Exchanges Have an Equivalent to MEV Searchers and Validators?

Centralized exchanges (CEXs) do not have a direct, public equivalent to MEV searchers and validators because their order matching and transaction processing are internal and off-chain. However, the functional roles exist.

The CEX's proprietary matching engine acts as the "validator," controlling the final transaction order. The "searcher" equivalent would be an internal employee with privileged access or a co-located High-Frequency Trading (HFT) firm that receives market data faster than others.

This functional equivalent is the basis for internal front-running and is strictly regulated as market abuse.