Just watched a bundle jump the queue successfully. The gas was 0.1 gwei higher than everyone else’s, and the packaging was fast. Retail users don’t need to understand too much of the deeper mechanics, but at least they should know who the block builders are—plain and simple: they can both make your trades get stuck and help you cut the line. Don’t think MEV is far from you; if you set your slippage too low and get sandwiched, that’s what they do.

Lately, memes have been popping off again—when a celebrity calls for it, people rush in. The old hands are right: in the end, whoever picks up the last baton knows. When the exchange gets congested, those big builders go straight through private channels while you’re still lining up in the public pool.

Anyway, I’m watching gas with one principle: if you can’t keep up with the bundle, don’t force it—wait for the next block. The more anxious you are, the more comfortable they get profiting. Remind yourself of that—you don’t need to rely on others to help you jump the queue.