Why Is Fair Transaction Order So Difficult On Blockchains?

As blockchain technology advances, ensuring fair and tamper-resistant transaction ordering remains a critical challenge. Traditional consensus mechanisms prioritize consistency and liveness but are not designed to prevent malicious actors from manipulating transaction orderings for profit, particularly in decentralized finance (DeFi). Recent research highlights inherent limitations of achieving perfect fairness, prompting the development of innovative protocols aimed at addressing these vulnerabilities and restoring trust in cryptocurrency and blockchain networks.