What Is “Front-Running” in Blockchain Transactions?

Front-Running is a malicious practice where a network participant (like a miner or validator) observes a pending transaction and executes their own transaction before the observed one, exploiting the information to profit. For example, seeing a large DEX trade and buying the asset first.

MEV (Maximal Extractable Value) is a related concept that quantifies the profit from such ordering.

What Is Miner Extractable Value (MEV) and How Does It Relate to Front-Running in DeFi?
What Is “Miner Extractable Value” (MEV) and How Is It Related to Front-Running?
Can Flashbots Prevent All Forms of MEV, or Only Front-Running?
How Do ‘Private Transaction Relays’ Attempt to Mitigate Front-Running from the Mempool?
How Does ‘Maximum Extractable Value’ (MEV) Relate to Front-Running in Decentralized Finance (DeFi)?
What Is Miner Extractable Value (MEV) and How Does It Relate to Front-Running?
What Is the Role of a Transaction Mempool in Enabling Front-Running?
What Is Maximum Extractable Value (MEV) and How Is It Related to Front-Running in Crypto?