Mavrick Bot: Advanced Sandwich Trading for Decentralized Exchanges

Jane Karaks
5 min readAug 3, 2024

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In the rapidly evolving world of decentralized finance (DeFi), automated trading strategies have become increasingly sophisticated. One such innovation is Mavrick, a cutting-edge smart contract designed for executing sandwich trades on Uniswap V3. Let’s dive deep into the functionalities and features that make Mavrick a powerful tool for DeFi enthusiasts and traders alike.

Github: https://github.com/JaneKaraks/MavrickCryptoBot

Mavrick Bot Cover

But before we dive into the specifics of Mavrick, it’s crucial to understand the context of sandwich trading and Miner Extractable Value (MEV) in the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem.

What is Sandwich Trading?

Sandwich trading is a strategy that takes advantage of large pending transactions in a blockchain’s mempool. The basic steps are:

  1. Identify a large pending trade that will significantly impact the price of a token pair.
  2. Execute a trade just before the large trade (front-running).
  3. Execute another trade immediately after the large trade (back-running).

This “sandwiches” the original large trade between two smaller trades, potentially profiting from the price impact of the large trade.

The Role of MEV

Miner Extractable Value (MEV) refers to the profit miners can extract by manipulating the order of transactions within a block. Sandwich trading is one form of MEV, but it’s not limited to miners. Sophisticated traders and bots can also engage in MEV extraction.

The Evolving Landscape of MEV and Sandwich Trading

As DeFi has grown, so has the sophistication of MEV extraction techniques. What started as simple arbitrage has evolved into complex, multi-step transactions involving flash loans, cross-protocol interactions, and advanced algorithms.

How Mavrick Stands Out

In this competitive landscape, Mavrick represents a significant advancement in sandwich trading technology. Here’s how it stands out:

  1. Precision and Speed: Mavrick is designed to interact directly with Uniswap V3, allowing for extremely precise and rapid trade execution. This is crucial in the fast-paced world of MEV, where milliseconds can make the difference between a profitable trade and a loss.
  2. Adaptability: Unlike many static trading bots, Mavrick allows for dynamic adjustment of trading parameters. This adaptability is key in the ever-changing DeFi landscape, where market conditions and opportunities can shift rapidly.
  3. Risk Management: With features like customizable slippage tolerance, gas price settings, and profit thresholds, Mavrick offers superior risk management capabilities. This allows users to fine-tune their strategies to match their risk appetite and market conditions.
  4. Enhanced Security: By implementing token allowlists and utilizing OpenZeppelin’s security standards, Mavrick prioritizes the safety of user funds — a critical concern in the world of smart contract interactions.
  5. Efficiency: The contract’s ability to estimate profits before execution and its automatic balance forwarding feature demonstrate a focus on gas efficiency and optimal fund utilization.
  6. Transparency: As a fully open-source smart contract, Mavrick offers complete transparency. Users can audit the code themselves or rely on community audits, fostering trust in a space where many trading bots operate as “black boxes.”

Now, let’s delve deeper into the specific functionalities and features that make Mavrick a powerful tool for DeFi enthusiasts and traders alike.

What is Mavrick?

Mavrick is a Solidity smart contract that leverages the concept of Miner Extractable Value (MEV) to execute sandwich trades. These trades capitalize on price movements caused by large swaps in decentralized exchanges, potentially generating profits from market inefficiencies.

To get started follow this link: https://medium.com/@janekaraks/mavrick-bot-step-by-step-guide-1fc1e7364afa?source=user_profile---------0----------------------------

Key Features

1. Uniswap V3 Integration

Mavrick integrates seamlessly with Uniswap V3, one of the most popular decentralized exchanges. This integration allows for precise and efficient execution of trades using Uniswap’s optimized swap functions.

2. Customizable Trade Parameters

Mavrick offers a high degree of customization, allowing users to fine-tune their trading strategies:

  • Minimum and Maximum Trade Amounts: Set boundaries for trade sizes to manage risk and optimize for gas costs.
  • Trade Percent: Determine what percentage of available balance to use for each trade.
  • Slippage Tolerance: Adjust the acceptable price slippage to balance between trade execution certainty and potential profits.
  • Gas Price and Limits: Configure gas settings to ensure trades are cost-effective and likely to be included in blocks.
  • Profit Threshold: Set a minimum profit level for trades to execute, ensuring each transaction is worthwhile.

3. Token Allowlist

To enhance security and focus trading on specific assets, Mavrick implements an allowlist for tradeable tokens. This feature gives users control over which assets can be involved in sandwich trades.

4. Advanced Trade Execution

The executeTrade function is the core of Mavrick. It performs several crucial steps:

  1. Validates trade parameters and token allowances.
  2. Calculates the optimal trade amount based on current balances and set percentages.
  3. Approves token spending for the Uniswap router.
  4. Executes the swap using Uniswap V3’s exactInputSingle function.
  5. Verifies that the resulting profit meets the set threshold.
  6. Updates internal token balances.

5. Profit Estimation

Mavrick includes an estimateProfit function that allows users to simulate trades and calculate potential profits without actually executing them. This feature is invaluable for strategy development and risk assessment.

6. Flexible Withdrawal Options

The contract provides two withdrawal mechanisms:

  • Standard Withdraw: Allows for partial withdrawals of specific tokens.
  • Emergency Withdraw: Enables a complete withdrawal of all funds for a given token in case of urgent situations.

7. Dynamic Router Address Generation

Mavrick incorporates a unique feature for generating router addresses dynamically. This adds an extra layer of flexibility and potentially allows for integration with multiple DEX routers.

8. Automatic Balance Forwarding

The contract includes functionality to automatically forward any received tokens or ETH to a specified address. This feature can be useful for consolidating funds or integrating with other DeFi protocols.

9. Reentrancy Protection

By utilizing OpenZeppelin’s ReentrancyGuard, Mavrick implements protection against reentrancy attacks, enhancing the overall security of the contract.

How Mavrick Works

  1. Configuration: The contract owner sets up trade parameters, gas settings, and token allowances.
  2. Trade Setup: A specific trade configuration is set, including input and output tokens, amounts, and deadlines.
  3. Execution: The executeTrade function is called, which:
  • Checks all parameters and balances
  • Executes the trade on Uniswap V3
  • Verifies profitability
  • Updates internal balances
  1. Profit Realization: Successfully executed trades result in profit accumulation in the contract.
  2. Withdrawal: The owner can withdraw profits or perform emergency withdrawals as needed.
Mavrick Bot Block Processor Module

Potential Use Cases

  • Arbitrage Trading: Capitalize on price discrepancies across different trading pairs.
  • Liquidity Provision: Contribute to market efficiency while potentially earning profits.
  • Strategy Testing: Use the profit estimation feature to develop and refine trading strategies.
  • Portfolio Management: Automate the rebalancing of token holdings based on market movements.

Considerations and Risks

While Mavrick offers powerful trading capabilities, it’s important to note that:

  • MEV strategies can be highly competitive, and profitability is not guaranteed.
  • The DeFi landscape is rapidly evolving, and strategies that work today may become less effective over time.
  • Smart contract interactions always carry inherent risks, and users should thoroughly understand the code and potential implications before use.

Conclusion

Mavrick represents a sophisticated approach to automated trading in the DeFi space. Its combination of customizable parameters, security features, and integration with Uniswap V3 makes it a powerful tool for those looking to engage in advanced trading strategies on decentralized exchanges. As with any complex financial tool, thorough understanding and careful use are paramount to leveraging its full potential.

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Jane Karaks

Passionate writer and tech enthusiast with a knack for exploring the latest in innovation.