Seoul-based blockchain infrastructure company Flowra has launched an Open Orderflow Auction (OOA), a new block-building framework designed to bring greater competition to Solana's maximal extractable value (MEV) market and potentially increase validator revenue.
The system allows registered searchers to compete for transaction inclusion through a transparent auction instead of relying on closed orderflow channels. Flowra stated that the approach aims to improve price discovery and enable validators to capture more of the value generated by MEV, drawing inspiration from competitive block-building models on Ethereum.
During early testing on a single validator, a Flowra-enabled setup yielded a 20.6% increase in compute units per block. According to the company, the test validator moved from 84% to 101% of the network average, while reporting higher block fees than comparable validator software, alongside 100% block production and 99.999% block engine uptime. The company noted these results are based on early testing rather than a broader network-wide deployment.
Alongside the auction system, Flowra introduced a Programmable Block Policy feature allowing validators to set custom transaction inclusion policies at the block-building layer. This is designed to offer operational flexibility, including meeting regulatory and institutional compliance requirements without altering the underlying Solana protocol. Flowra has collaborated with compliance infrastructure provider Honeypot to integrate sanctions and risk screening into this layer.
Flowra CEO Harry Hwang stated that while Solana's technical performance has driven its growth, its MEV market remains concentrated. By opening block building to transparent competition, the company aims to create a more efficient market for blockspace that gives validators verifiability, auditability, and greater control.
Flowra is currently onboarding institutional-grade validators to the OOA, with plans for a wider rollout as ecosystem participation expands. The architecture separates block-building policies from underlying network protocol changes, and its ultimate impact will depend on broader adoption among validators and searchers.
