Last night, the on-chain congestion was as intense as rush hour.

My transaction was queued in the mempool, and I started doubting life: first it showed pending, then after a while it seemed like I was pushed to the back, and even increasing the gas fee didn't guarantee it would go through first.
Honestly, you might think it's just "waiting in line in order," but it's more like an auction for seats—whoever bids the highest gets on first, and sometimes you get cut in the middle (that MEV stuff).
By the time you hit confirm, it's already a story largely out of your control.

No wonder recently a bunch of retail investors have been complaining about the fairness of transaction ordering.
Miners/validators are making good money, but we can only stand on the sidelines as spectators, occasionally serving as raw material for guys like me, the "liquidity retreat intern"...
Let's take a look again.