Introduction
The future of Ethereum depends on rollups that scale profitably and drive value for users. That’s the vision behind our support for Swellchain, a Layer 2 network built for restaked assets. This marks our first public collaboration under Secure Block Building (SBB), enabling sustainable Maximal Extracable Value (MEV) capture to redefine the economic foundations of L2s.
Swellchain: The Restaking Chain
Swellchain tackles three major challenges in today’s L2s landscape: limited liquidity, centralized control, and the absence of native yield. Through Proof of Restake (PoR), it allows users to restake liquid assets to help secure the network and earn rewards tied to on-chain activity.
This PoR model drives a flywheel: increased activity boosts rewards for restakers and infrastructures, which in turn attracts more participation, deepens liquidity, and strengthens decentralization, fully aligning the rollup with Ethereum’s vision.
How Radius Powers Swellchain
Secure Block Building (SBB) enables Layer 2s to capture MEV (Maximal Extractable Value) as a revenue source. Unlike unfair practices like frontrunning (where transactions are prioritized for profit), SBB uses backrunning, a fair approach where profitable arbitrage trades found by searchers are executed after user transactions, to channel MEV revenue directly to the rollup. For Swellchain, this transforms its Proof of Restake (PoR) model into a dynamic engine for growth.
For Swellchain, SBB delivers:
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Sustainable MEV revenue via backrunning
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Protection from harmful MEV behaviors like frontrunning
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Stable revenue to support long-term growth
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A stronger PoR flywheel: more rewards, security, and participation
Built for the Superchain
Swellchain is built on the OP Stack and is part of the Superchain, a network of rollups built to scale Ethereum. SBB is developed with Flashbot’s Rollup-Boost, making it fully compatible with the OP Stack. This allows any OP Stack-based rollups to integrate SBB without modifying its core architecture, enabling backrunning from day one and unlocking MEV revenue as a native feature.
What SBB brings to the Superchain:
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Native integration with OP Stack
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A new path to unlock MEV revenue
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A foundation for long-term economic growth across Superchain rollups
Swellchain Joins Alpha Engine
Swellchain is among the first rollups in Alpha Engine, a modular growth platform that combines three core primitives into one powerful package: MEV revenue (via Radius), shared security (via Symbiotic), and cross-rollup interoperability (via Avail).
With Alpha Engine, Swellchain leverages broader stacks like Radius for MEV revenue and Symbiotic for shared security, while focusing on what it does best to scale.
What’s Next: Lighthouse & Connected Ethereum
Secure Block Building (SBB) helps rollups like Swellchain capture MEV sustainably, setting the stage for a more connected, value-aligned economy. Our upcoming Lighthouse network will connect Layer 2s, Layer 1, and centralized exchanges through shared MEV markets, bringing us closer to true economic interoperability where value flows seamlessly across the ecosystem.