Today I checked the mempool, and when it’s congested, your transaction really is like an order during the peak takeout rush: first you queue in the lobby, and whoever offers a bigger tip (higher fees) gets picked up first by the rider (the block producer). Put simply, it’s not “I order first, I arrive first,” but “I’m willing to pay more, so I go first.”

What’s even more awkward is that you might get cut in line in the middle—things like MEV, front-running, and so on. I can understand retail investors complaining that the ordering is unfair, especially when I see validators/miners’ income soaring, because it starts to feel like they’re collecting tolls. Anyway, I’d rather do fewer on-chain operations for now than be that poor soul getting repeatedly rejected in the congestion.