The theory and practice of web3 auctions | Scott Duke Kominers and Michael Zhu

TL;DR

On-chain auctions offer reliable broadcast and credibility, but face challenges with gas costs, Mev, privacy, and smart contract security.

Transcript

thank you the afternoon block is in on auctions and it's in two parts first time to talk about auction Theory and then Michael is going to talk about you know Unchained auctions in practice and you know the morning session is easy to motivate right like why do we care about business strategy well we're all building businesses and we care about bein... Read More

Key Insights

• ⛓️ On-chain auctions provide reliable broadcast and credibility, enhancing transparency and trust in auction outcomes.
• 🫢 Gas costs, Mev, privacy, and smart contract security are key challenges faced by on-chain auctions.
• 🎨 Design choices in on-chain auctions are influenced by these constraints, impacting the incentives and outcomes of the auction.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the difference between on-chain and off-chain auctions?

On-chain auctions utilize smart contracts on a blockchain for reliable broadcast and credibility, while off-chain auctions rely on trusted third parties.

Q: How does gas impact on-chain auctions?

Gas costs can make participating in on-chain auctions expensive for both sellers and bidders, especially on chains with high gas fees.

Q: What is Mev and how does it relate to on-chain auctions?

Mev (Miner/Maxer Extractable Value) refers to the extraction of value by parties involved in transaction ordering. In on-chain auctions, it can lead to value leakage from auction participants to other parties involved in transaction processing.

Q: How does privacy affect on-chain auctions?

Implementing privacy on a public blockchain can be challenging, leading to most on-chain auctions using open bid formats.

Q: What is the security risk in on-chain auctions?

Smart contracts handling user assets in on-chain auctions introduce security risks and require thorough testing and auditing to minimize vulnerabilities.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• On-chain auctions provide reliable broadcast and credibility, allowing bidders to verify auction results.

• Advantages of on-chain auctions include resource allocation and price discovery for on-chain goods.

• Challenges of on-chain auctions include high gas costs, value leakage (Mev), privacy concerns, and smart contract security risks.