Optimism Mainnet Introduces Stake-Based Priority Ordering Mechanism for the First Time, Launching a Four-Week Experiment

According to an official announcement from Optimism, the OP mainnet today initiates its first-ever adjustment to transaction ordering rules. For several years prior, the sequencer employed only a “highest-priority gas fee first” mechanism; it now introduces a new staking-based priority ordering option. This four-week experiment (concluding on June 23) was approved earlier this month by the Optimism Governance body and is optional for users. To participate, users must stake at least 100,000 OP tokens in the PolicyEngineStaking contract. The experiment proceeds in two phases: - Phase 1 (Week 1): Transactions are ordered using a FIFO (first-in, first-out) rule; staking amounts exceeding the minimum threshold do not affect priority. - Phase 2 (Weeks 2–4): A priority gas multiplier mechanism is introduced, weighted by staking duration—longer staking periods yield higher priority. For users not participating in the experiment, transaction ordering remains unchanged, and the PGA mechanism continues operating as usual.