Web3 Security Auditing, Formal Verification and On-Chain Risk Intelligence

Founded in 2017 by Yale professor Zhong Shao and Columbia professor Ronghui Gu, CertiK is a New York-based blockchain security firm serving Web3 protocols, exchanges, custodians and enterprises entering digital assets. The company grew out of academic work on formally verified systems software, including the CertiKOS operating system kernel, and applies that research lineage to smart contract auditing, penetration testing, KYC verification and regulatory compliance for the crypto industry.

Audits combine manual expert review of contract logic with automated static analysis and, optionally, formal verification that mathematically proves code behaves according to a written specification. Findings are graded by severity, paired with remediation guidance and published as public reports. Beyond point-in-time review, Skynet continuously scores live projects across roughly twenty dimensions, spanning code security, token-level risks such as honeypots and owner privileges, on-chain behavior, governance and community health, producing a numeric rating and tier.

The differentiator is breadth across the security lifecycle rather than a single audit engagement. SkyInsights adds AML and transaction-monitoring intelligence built on hundreds of millions of labeled addresses, while compliance offerings target MiCA, DORA and VARA regimes alongside Proof of Reserves attestations. Skynet ratings surface inside wallets, exchanges and market data sites, giving the firm distribution well beyond its direct client base. Investors include Sequoia Capital, Tiger Global, SoftBank, Coinbase Ventures and Binance.