Is All MEV Considered Harmful or Exploitative?

Not all Maximal Extractable Value (MEV) is considered harmful; some forms are necessary for market efficiency. For example, arbitrage is a form of MEV where bots profit by correcting price discrepancies between different exchanges.

This activity is generally viewed as beneficial because it helps synchronize prices and ensures market efficiency. However, exploitative MEV, such as front-running and sandwich attacks, is widely condemned because it directly harms retail users by worsening their execution price.