Web3 · sub-niche
MEV protection libraries.
MEV protection + private order flow for DeFi traders + protocols.
Team-sized buildTrickle — one deal per quarter
Why now
MEV extraction is a $500M+/year tax on DeFi. Protection is a real wedge.
What the signal looks like
Repos with private-pool adapters, MEV-blocker libraries, and order-flow auction integrations.
Public examples
We name publicprojects + categories only — never founders we track inside the paid product. The buyer’s edge stays inside the product.
- Flashbots Protect shape
- MEV Blocker
- Open-source MEV-protection libraries
What this displaces
A public-mempool transaction + sandwiched.
Our build-vs-invest call
Niche, technical. Fund only with crypto-native team. The moat is the protocol partnerships + the MEV-blocker accuracy.
Common questions about this niche
- Buyer?
- DeFi protocols + retail traders + wallets.
- Pricing?
- % of order flow or per transaction.
- Defensibility?
- Protocol + accuracy.
More inside Web3
- Account abstraction toolkits — ERC-4337 wallet libraries + paymaster infrastructure for AA-first apps.
- Onchain compliance tools — Travel rule + KYT + transaction monitoring for crypto + stablecoin businesses.
- Stablecoin payment rails — USDC + USDT payments for B2B + cross-border — non-crypto-facing.
- DeFi portfolio managers — Portfolio + risk + yield management for DeFi users + crypto funds.