Architecture overview
This page aims to provide an overview of the overall architecture. More detailed content is work in progress!
System context diagram
The following diagram shows the simplified overall system architecture:
Actors
The builder network has five main actors:
| Actor | Description |
|---|---|
| Builder node | TEE server instances |
| Node operator | Entity running a builder node |
| Flashbots infrastructure | BuilderHub and Redistribution Archive |
| MEV-Boost relay | Blocks are submitted to them |
| Orderflow source | User, searcher, wallet, bot, etc. |
Builder node data flows
Builder nodes communicate with several other parties:
| Party | Data |
|---|---|
| Users, searchers, wallets | Sending orderflow to builder node. |
| Other builder nodes | Orderflow sharing across peers. |
| MEV-Boost relays | Blocks are sent to relays. |
| Flashbots infrastructure |
|
| Node operators (via System API) |
|
Secrets and configuration provisioning
Several processes in the builder node need secrets and configuration to work properly, for instance a coinbase key for block production, signing keys for relay submissions, extra data, and more.
On startup, builder nodes make a client-side attested request to BuilderHub (in Flashbots infra), to receive the required secrets and configuration. BuilderHub verifies that the request comes from an authorized machine by verifying the TEE measurement attestation and the IP address.