Circle just dropped a research paper that could reshape how transactions get processed on its Arc blockchain. The Arc Multi-Proposer Protocol, or AMP, introduces a new architecture designed to solve one of crypto’s most persistent headaches: who gets to decide the order of transactions, and who profits from that power.
The paper, published on arXiv on May 22, proposes a system where multiple dedicated proposers bundle transactions into payloads, replacing the traditional model where validators hold all the cards. Instead of letting a single gatekeeper decide which transactions go first, AMP spreads that responsibility across multiple parties with strict rules about ordering.
How AMP actually works
The protocol sits on top of Arc’s existing Malachite consensus engine, which already delivers sub-second finality. AMP doesn’t touch the underlying consensus mechanics.
Two features stand out. First, bounded inclusion guarantees: multiple proposers can ensure a transaction actually gets included in a block, rather than leaving users at the mercy of a single validator. Second, fixed and deterministic ordering of transactions, which removes the ambiguity that typically allows sophisticated actors to extract value from regular users.
