Primev Launches FAST RPC, Enabling Millisecond Ethereum Mainnet Preconfirmations

Executive Summary

Ethereum infrastructure platform Primev has introduced a FAST Remote Procedure Call (RPC) solution designed to enable Ethereum mainnet transactions to be preconfirmed and included in blocks in under 200 milliseconds. This development aims to significantly enhance transaction speed and user experience on the Ethereum Layer 1, positioning it to theoretically rival high-speed Layer 1 blockchains such as Sui.

The Event in Detail

Primev's newly launched FAST RPC allows for transactions on the Ethereum mainnet to achieve preconfirmation and subsequent block inclusion in milliseconds. Preconfirmation is defined as an early signal from a block builder indicating that a transaction is highly likely to be included in the next block. Primev founder Murat Akdeniz demonstrated a near-instant ETH transfer via a MetaMask wallet, which was preconfirmed in 377 milliseconds and included in the same block. Akdeniz stated that his team dedicated over two years to developing this technology to "supercharge Ethereum" to these speeds, facilitating rapid ETH transfers, smart contract interactions, and NFT minting. While the solution offers significant speed improvements, it has not yet undergone testing at scale.

Technical Mechanics

The FAST RPC operates by connecting crypto wallets to blockchain nodes, enabling users to send transactions and interact with decentralized applications. Unlike standard RPC methods, Primev's solution integrates with a "mev-commit" chain, where transactions are enqueued and sent to the network privately, bypassing the public mempool. This private submission means that public mempool queries after submission might show a different nonce. To activate the enhanced speed, users must replace their existing RPCs in crypto wallets with Primev's FAST RPC and deposit funds into Primev’s designated "gas tank" wallet address. The priority fee for transactions submitted through FAST RPC should be set to 0, as the method sources preconfirmations on the mev-commit chain.

Business Strategy & Market Positioning

Primev's strategy positions its FAST RPC as a high-speed alternative for users who prefer to conduct transactions directly on the Ethereum mainnet rather than migrating to Layer-2 solutions. This directly addresses the long-standing challenge of transaction speed on Ethereum's Layer 1. However, the solution faces competition from established RPC providers such as Infura and Alchemy. These widely used RPCs, while potentially slower than Primev's, boast significantly larger node distributions and have been extensively battle-tested under heavy network loads. Infura, for instance, serves over 400,000 builders, and Alchemy facilitates more than $150 billion in annual transactions, highlighting their robust infrastructure and market penetration. Primev's innovation aims to carve out a niche by prioritizing latency for mainnet transactions.

Broader Market Implications

The introduction of Primev's FAST RPC could have several implications for the broader Web3 ecosystem and Ethereum's competitive landscape. If widely adopted and proven scalable, the technology could significantly enhance the user experience on Ethereum Layer 1, potentially reducing the perceived necessity of some Layer-2 solutions for specific use cases where speed is paramount. This could bolster Ethereum's stance against other fast Layer 1 blockchains that prioritize high transaction throughput and low latency. However, the sophistication requirements for preconfirming mechanisms, such as those utilized by Primev, may lead to a consolidation of preconfirmer services among a limited number of dominant players, raising potential centralization risks. This centralization could introduce vulnerabilities like single points of failure and monopolization. Despite the emergence of solutions like Primev's, the Ethereum roadmap continues to emphasize Layer-2 solutions for achieving mass adoption through scalability, high throughput, and reduced transaction costs, with upgrades like Dencun significantly lowering costs for rollups. Therefore, while Primev offers an immediate speed improvement for Layer 1, Layer-2s remain central to Ethereum's long-term scaling strategy for broad utility and adoption. The market will observe how Primev's solution integrates with or diverges from the ongoing development of Layer-2 ecosystems such as Arbitrum, Optimism, and Polygon zkEVM.