Optimism trials stake-based transaction priority on OP mainnet for four weeks starting May 2026

Optimism's OP mainnet has launched a four-week experiment allowing users to boost transaction priority by staking at least 100,000 OP tokens. This pilot introduces a stake-based ordering system alongside the existing gas fee auction, aiming to reduce harmful arbitrage and provide more predictable blockspace access. The trial has two phases: an initial FIFO priority for stakers, then a stake-weighted gas multiplier favoring long-term stakers. After June 23, the network will revert to the original system while analyzing results to decide on permanent adoption. This experiment reflects broader Layer-2 innovations in transaction pricing and sequencing.