Another Co-Founder Leaves Flashbots Project
On the evening of June 20th, another co-founder of Flashbots, a project within the Ethereum MEV (Maximal Extractable Value) space, announced their departure.
Departure Announcement
In a tweet on his personal Twitter account, Alex Obadia shared his decision to leave Flashbots.
"After nearly 3 years of contributing and building Flashbots, I have decided that it is the right time for me to step away. Thank you to my co-founders and the entire Flashbots team for the incredible past three years."
1/ after almost 3 years building flashbots, i've decided it's time for me to leave. thanks to my co-founders and the entire flashbots crew for 3 memorable years.
— alex (@ObadiaAlex) June 20, 2023
for anyone interested, here's the message i sent to the team earlier today. pic.twitter.com/MiH7OIRYbF
Reflections on Achievements
Along with expressing gratitude to investors for their trust and support, Alex expressed pride in the project’s achievements, specifically mentioning the success of two products, Mev-Geth and Mev-Boost, which both captured approximately 85% market share within just a year and a half.
Reasons for Leaving
Discussing the reasons behind his departure, Obadia stated that the decision was primarily due to personal reasons.
"I believe that my vision and values might be better supported on a new journey. We have had many different perspectives on leadership and direction, which has been a strength for us. However, at this point, we believe it is beneficial for us to pursue separate paths. This is a normal occurrence for organizations undergoing growth and change."
Future Challenges for Flashbots
Obadia highlighted several future challenges for Flashbots, including issues related to centralization, cross-domain MEV, and exclusive order flow (the process of managing transaction creation chains).
Final Thoughts
In his closing remarks, Alex emphasized three core areas that Flashbots should focus on: addressing network crises, deepening foundational research, and minimizing the influence of individual actors.
Although he did not directly state it, Alex’s message reflects underlying concerns about Flashbots’ growing impact on the MEV market and the governance challenges associated with it.
Previous Co-Founder Departure
Previously, in October 2022, co-founder Gosselin also announced his departure from Flashbots following disagreements over the project's development direction.
Stay tuned for further updates on Flashbots and the evolving landscape of MEV in the Ethereum ecosystem.
