# MEV Relay (For Validators)

**Setup Middleware**\
To participate in MEV, validators can choose from three supported middleware options:

* [**mev-boost**](https://github.com/flashbots/mev-boost) – The industry-standard middleware written in Golang that lets validators outsource block construction to connected relays. It’s widely adopted, easy to deploy, and supported across all major relay providers. Best suited for validators who want simplicity and maximum compatibility.
* [**Commit-Boost**](https://github.com/Commit-Boost/commit-boost-client) – A newer alternative middleware implementation of mev-boost, developed by the community in Rust. It aims to improve performance, stability, and flexibility while remaining fully compatible with the existing relay ecosystem. 
* [**Vouch**](https://github.com/attestantio/vouch) – A validator client middleware from Attestant that emphasizes configurability and security. It enables policy enforcement on bids, builders, and relays, giving validators more control over proposal logic. Ideal for those who want to enforce stricter rules or custom policies.

### Relay Types

bloXroute operates two types of MEV relays—Max Profit and Regulated—which are available for both validators and builders to connect to. While historically distinct, both relays currently enforce the same filtering policy: they propagate all available transactions and bundles except those interacting with OFAC-sanctioned addresses. Despite having identical behavior today, bloXroute continues to maintain both relay names for backward compatibility and integration consistency.

### Relay Endpoints

Validators running any of the supported middleware mentioned above can connect to bloXroute’s MEV relays on Ethereum Mainnet to receive full blocks proposed by bloXroute.

bloXroute offers two types of MEV relays:

* **Max Profit Relay** – prioritizes maximum validator rewards
* **Regulated Relay** – enforces the same OFAC filtering but was originally intended for stricter regulatory environments

Validators may choose either relay type and include it in the `-relays` startup argument of `mev-boost`.

**Mainnet Relay Endpoints**

* **Max profit relay:**\
  `https://0x8b5d2e73e2a3a55c6c87b8b6eb92e0149a125c852751db1422fa951e42a09b82c142c3ea98d0d9930b056a3bc9896b8f@bloxroute.max-profit.blxrbdn.com`
* **Regulated relay:** `https://0xb0b07cd0abef743db4260b0ed50619cf6ad4d82064cb4fbec9d3ec530f7c5e6793d9f286c4e082c0244ffb9f2658fe88@bloxroute.regulated.blxrbdn.com`

**Example Usage (Mainnet Relay Endpoint):**

```
./mev-boost \
  -mainnet \
  -relays \
https://0x8b5d2e73e2a3a55c6c87b8b6eb92e0149a125c852751db1422fa951e42a09b82c142c3ea98d0d9930b056a3bc9896b8f@bloxroute.max-profit.blxrbdn.com,\
https://0xb0b07cd0abef743db4260b0ed50619cf6ad4d82064cb4fbec9d3ec530f7c5e6793d9f286c4e082c0244ffb9f2658fe88@bloxroute.regulated.blxrbdn.com
```

Validators can append `?id=` parameter to the end of relay URL. You may also append parameters such as `?id=your-validator-name` and `&auth=your-auth-token` when using Relay-Proxy configurations.\
\
**Example Usage (Mainnet Relay Endpoint w/ Validator ID):**

{% code overflow="wrap" %}

```bash
./mev-boost -mainnet -relays https://0x8b5d2e73e2a3a55c6c87b8b6eb92e0149a125c852751db1422fa951e42a09b82c142c3ea98d0d9930b056a3bc9896b8f@bloxroute.max-profit.blxrbdn.com?id=validator-name
```

{% endcode %}

*\*\* It is recommended that validators connect to multiple MEV relays to maximize block proposal opportunities and resilience. This includes connecting to the bloXroute relays, as well as other major relays such as Flashbots, Ultrasound, and others.*

**Skip Optimism** 

Validators can also append the `?skip_optimism=true` parameter to the end of a bloXroute relay URL to enforce full simulation of all blocks before receiving a header. This ensures that only fully simulated blocks are considered during block proposal.

By default, bloXroute does not simulate blocks from trusted builders who have an established relationship with us—this allows for faster header delivery. However, setting `skip_optimism=true` overrides this behavior and ensures every block is simulated, regardless of the builder’s trust level.

**Example Usage (Mainnet Relay Endpoint w/ Validator ID and Skip Optimism enabled):**

{% code overflow="wrap" %}

```bash
./mev-boost -mainnet -relays https://0x8b5d2e73e2a3a55c6c87b8b6eb92e0149a125c852751db1422fa951e42a09b82c142c3ea98d0d9930b056a3bc9896b8f@bloxroute.max-profit.blxrbdn.com?id=validator-name&skip_optimism=true
```

{% endcode %}

#### **Testnet Validators**

Validators using mev-boost can now connect to bloXroute’s MEV relays on Hoodi testnet to receive full blocks proposed by bloXroute.

**Hoodi Relay URL**

* `https://0x821f2a65afb70e7f2e820a925a9b4c80a159620582c1766b1b09729fec178b11ea22abb3a51f07b288be815a1a2ff516@bloxroute.hoodi.blxrbdn.com`

**Example Usage (Testnet Relay Endpoint with Validator ID)**

{% code overflow="wrap" %}

```bash
# Example Hoodi args
./mev-boost -genesis-fork-version 0x10000910 -relays https://0x821f2a65afb70e7f2e820a925a9b4c80a159620582c1766b1b09729fec178b11ea22abb3a51f07b288be815a1a2ff516@bloxroute.hoodi.blxrbdn.com?id=<validator-name>
```

{% endcode %}