Just now I tried to mint a little “on-chain picture,” and my hand was aching from all the clicking—yet I still got kicked open by someone who “cut in line”… I clearly clicked first, but the deal settled behind someone else, and the gas felt like it was wasted for nothing. To be blunt, MEV’s kind of ordering game is really unfriendly to retail users like us who act on impulse. It doesn’t feel like we’re racing on click speed—it feels like we’re racing to see who’s better at finding loopholes.

The biggest impact is probably on two kinds of people: first, people like me who chase hot trends—once something looks good, we rush in. One slip, one failure fee, or even just getting caught and sandwiched, and my mindset instantly explodes. Second, small project teams—once they’re just starting to pick up momentum, bots can drag the floor price and the overall mood along with them. Lately, I’ve also heard that in some places taxes and compliance are tightened and loosened in cycles—when expectations for deposits and withdrawals change, everyone gets even more sensitive. Then if there’s another “cut in line” on-chain, it’s even easier to start questioning everything… Anyway, for now I can only chase fewer at a set price, wait a bit longer, or just accept it—don’t treat every failed attempt as proof that it’s my hands that are bad.