How Merkle (Blink) and MetaMask Smart Transactions differ on type, protection, rebates and what they’re built for.
| Merkle (Blink) | MetaMask Smart Transactions | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Private RPC | Wallet feature |
| How it works | The Merkle Private Pool routes order flow privately; “Blink” packages it as MEV protection that wallets and RPC providers can embed and monetize. | Submits your tx to a private “virtual mempool” and auctions it to trusted builders who are financially penalized if they don’t execute at the quoted price. It stays private until confirmed. |
| Protects against | Frontrunning & sandwich attacks | Frontrunning + failed transactions (99.9% success rate) |
| Rebates | Revenue share for integrating wallets | No direct rebate — back-run value funds the free service |
| Chains | Ethereum, BSC, Polygon, Base, Arbitrum, Solana | Ethereum, Linea, Base, Arbitrum, BNB Chain |
| Setup | Use Merkle/Blink RPC or integrate as a wallet | Toggle on in MetaMask settings |
| Best for | Wallets & RPC providers | MetaMask users who want zero setup |
Pick Merkle (Blink) for wallets & rpc providers; pick MetaMask Smart Transactions for metamask users who want zero setup.