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Selling order flow is a related but distinct practice:

- Order Flow Sales: This involves brokers selling information about their customers’ orders to interested parties.

- Potential for Front-Running: While not inherently front-running, selling order flow can enable it if the buyers use this information to trade ahead of customer orders.

- Payment for Order Flow: This practice allows some brokers to offer commission-free trades, as they make money by routing orders to specific market makers.

Front-runners do take on some risk, but it’s typically minimal:

- Speed: Modern front-running often occurs using high-frequency trading algorithms, minimizing the time between the front-runner’s trade and the large order execution.

- Committed Orders: Front-runners act on knowledge of committed orders, not mere possibilities. They have an informational advantage.