Relay Block Merging

This post introduces relay block merging, a way of immediately increasing block value by offsetting two systemic inefficiencies: exclusive order flow on the builder level, and timing games on the relay level. This unlocks transparent revenue for relays, increases Ethereum’s censorship resistance, and provides an income uplift for proposers and builders.

In practical terms, relay block merging allows relays to append transactions from competing blocks into the bottom of the winning PBS auction block without changing its execution guarantees. The idle time a relay normally incurs due to timing games is repurposed to optimize block value.