Certik
also invests Β· investor profileUnicorn Β· $526BNew York City, US Β· Founded 2018 Β· 214 employees on LinkedIn Β· 8 known investors
CertiK is a Web3 security platform that combines formal verification with smart contract audits, penetration testing, on-chain monitoring, AML/compliance tools, and incident response for blockchain projects, exchanges, and wallets. It offers products such as its Skynet real-time project evaluation system and SkyInsights transaction-monitoring and AML compliance suite for Web3 companies and VASPs.
Also known as CERK Β· CertiK
Founders & leadership
Certik was founded in 2018 by Ronghui Gu.
Investors Β· 8
Also in the syndicate Β· 2
Valuation Β· disclosed
Disclosed eventsSource: SEC prospectus filings, and round valuations the company or its investors disclosed β follow each entry's link for the claim.
Company profile
researched Aug 2026CertiK is a blockchain and Web3 security company headquartered in New York. Its platform combines formal verification methods with a range of security services, including smart contract and blockchain code audits, penetration testing, DLT security solutions for enterprise infrastructure, proof-of-reserves audits, on-chain monitoring, AML and risk management (SkyInsights), and incident response. It also offers regulatory advisory products such as VARA compliance solutions for Dubai VASP licensing and DORA/MiCA advisory for EU crypto-asset service providers.
The company's Skynet product provides real-time project ratings and 24/7 active monitoring of deployed smart contracts, with a public Security Leaderboard; Skynet Premium, released alongside the August 2021 funding round, added active monitoring, real-time alerts and an analytics dashboard for enterprise clients. CertiK segments its offerings for enterprises, Web3 projects, exchanges and custodians, regulators and compliance teams, and security researchers, and in July 2026 launched an invite-only "Hunt" platform for security researchers.
CertiK also publishes security and market research (for example reports on crypto hacks, North Korea-linked thefts, physical "wrench" attacks, AML enforcement trends and prediction markets) and engages in policy work, stating relationships with the U.S. Congress, the Monetary Authority of Singapore, Hong Kong SAR, the Financial Services Agency of Japan, Abu Dhabi Global Market, and Seoul and Busan governments.
Founding story
CertiK was founded by professors from Columbia University and Yale University, growing out of academic research on certified software. Cofounder Zhong Shao is the Thomas L. Kempner Professor and Chair of Computer Science at Yale, whose FLINT group developed CertiKOS, described as the first hacker-resistant concurrent operating system; co-founder and CEO Ronghui Gu is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Columbia and a primary designer of CertiKOS and SeKVM. Founding year is given as 2017 on CertiK's about page and by EquityZen's data field, while Built In NYC and the descriptive text used by both Built In and EquityZen state 2018.
Business model
CertiK sells security and compliance services and software to blockchain and Web3 organizations, spanning one-off engagements such as code audits, penetration tests and proof-of-reserves verification, and ongoing subscription-style products such as Skynet monitoring (Skynet Premium enterprise tier) and SkyInsights AML/transaction monitoring. Sources describe enterprise clients and booked Skynet revenue but do not detail pricing.
Revenue is generated from client engagements and product subscriptions; the company reported that revenue grew 20x in the year preceding December 2021 and that Skynet booked revenue grew 2,300% since the end of 2020, while Q1 2021 revenue more than quadrupled full-year 2020 revenue.
Traction
Company-reported figures include 5,500 clients served, $526B in market capitalization assessed, 1.8 million monthly Skynet users and 117,000+ vulnerabilities detected. Earlier reported milestones were over 1,300 enterprise clients, $90 billion in digital assets secured and 23,000 vulnerabilities detected (2021), and over 1,800 audit clients by December 2021. CertiK also received Sui's top bug bounty of $600,000 for a critical vulnerability.
Latest developments
In 2026 CertiK joined Hub71 in Abu Dhabi as a preferred security and compliance vendor for startups (July 2026), launched an invite-only Hunt platform for security researchers (July 2026), and published research on crypto hack losses ($1.3 billion in 2026), physical/"wrench" attacks, North Korea-linked theft, AML enforcement overtaking SEC securities cases as the top crypto risk, and prediction market growth to $63.5B in 2025. It also engaged with Brazil's central bank on VASP rules and participated in the United Nations Global Fraud Summit 2026.
βΈFull profile β market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
CertiK describes itself as the largest Web3 security platform and largest blockchain security auditor. Third-party recognitions cited include CB Insights Top 50 Blockchain Companies, World Economic Forum Global Innovator status, and "Companies to Watch in 2023" and a Global Awards Silver Winner listing. It holds SOC 2 Type I and Type II and ISO 27001 attestations for the platform hosting its services (Skyharbor).
CertiK positions its use of formal verification, rooted in academic research at Columbia and Yale (CertiKOS, SeKVM, DeepSEA), as its distinguishing capability, combined with a full-lifecycle suite spanning audits, continuous on-chain monitoring, AML/compliance and incident response rather than point audits alone. Its founders and senior staff include university professors and former security leaders from Baidu, Kaspersky, Ethereum Foundation and Polygon Labs.
Technology
The core technology is formal verification applied to smart contracts and blockchain systems, supplemented by AI-based analysis and monitoring. Related research assets include CertiKOS, SeKVM and DeepSEA, a language for writing verified smart contracts. Work cited on the company site includes formal verification of TON's consensus module, formal verification of HyperEnclave core components (paper accepted at ASPLOS'24), the first formal proof of a zero-knowledge proof VM circuit with Delphinus Lab (zkWasm), and Rocq tactics for zkVM modular arithmetic delivered under an Ethereum Foundation grant. The company also reports vulnerability discoveries in Apple's iOS kernel, Samsung mobile blockchain solutions and Ledger wallets.
Go-to-market
CertiK sells directly to enterprises and Web3 projects via a "talk to an expert" consultative motion, and builds visibility through free/public tools (Skynet ratings and the Security Leaderboard, cited at 1.8 million monthly Skynet users), published security and market research, media commentary, partnerships with exchanges and infrastructure providers, participation in bug bounty programs, regulatory and policy engagement, and ecosystem programs such as joining Hub71 in Abu Dhabi as a preferred security and compliance vendor.
Web3 protocols and blockchain projects, crypto exchanges and custodians, enterprises pursuing institutional blockchain adoption, regulators and compliance teams, virtual asset service providers, and security researchers. Named clients or counterparties in sources include Aave, Polygon, Binance Smart Chain, Terra, Yearn, Chiliz, OKX, Fireblocks, Bitget Wallet, LINE Blockchain, TON, SEI Protocol and Sui.
Geography
Headquartered in New York, with a globally distributed team of researchers, engineers and security experts and a remote-friendly hiring model (job postings across multiple U.S. and international locations). Regulatory and business engagement spans the United States, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Abu Dhabi, South Korea and Brazil.
History
After its founding by Columbia and Yale academics, CertiK expanded from formal verification research into commercial blockchain auditing and monitoring. In 2021 it raised a Series B and a $24M Series B+ led by Tiger Global (announced August 2021), bringing total fundraising past $70M, and closed an $80M B2 round led by Sequoia Capital China in December 2021 at a nearly $1B valuation, taking total investment to just over $140M. Executive hires around that time included VP of Engineering David Tarditi (previously Microsoft) and VP of Marketing Monier Jalal. The company reported over 1,300 enterprise clients in 2021 and over 1,800 audit clients by December 2021; its site later cites 5,500 clients served.
Risks & controversies
The provided sources do not describe controversies. Notable ambiguity: founding year is reported inconsistently across sources as 2017 and 2018, and self-reported metrics on the company website (clients, valuation, users) are not independently verified in the material provided.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources β announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed β not independently audited.
Timeline Β· 12
launches, deals, and filingsCertiK becomes an official Hub71 vendor to provide Web3 security and compliance services to startups.
Awarded for uncovering a critical vulnerability with the potential to shut down the Sui network.
$600K source β
Recognition for a discovery that enhances Ledger wallet security.
Partnership to enhance security across OKX's ecosystem.
Follows completion of a security audit of LINE Blockchain.
CertiK completed what it describes as the first formal proof of a zero-knowledge proof VM circuit.
Round led by Sequoia Capital China with participation from Tiger Global, Coatue Management and GL Ventures; third round in four months, bringing total investment to just over $140M.
$80M source β
Tarditi previously spent over 16 years leading engineering and research teams at Microsoft; Jalal has over 20 years of cybersecurity leadership experience.
Skynet detects and protects blockchains against sophisticated attacks; booked revenue grew 2,300% since end of 2020.
Second fundraising round closed in under a month, bringing total fundraising to over $70M; led by Tiger Global partner Pengfei Wang.
$24M source β
Active-monitoring platform providing real-time alerts on deployed smart contracts, with an analytics dashboard for enterprise clients.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
βΈResearch sources Β· 8
primary sources listed
- Certikcertik.com Β· web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Certik do?
- CertiK is a New York-based Web3 security platform combining formal verification with smart contract audits and compliance tools.
- Who founded Certik?
- Certik was founded by Ronghui Gu in 2018.
- Who are Certik's investors?
- Certik's investors include Candaq Fintech Group, Coatue Management, Coinbase Ventures, Fenbushi Capital, SoftBank Vision Fund, TsingTech Ventures.
- Where is Certik headquartered?
- Certik is headquartered in New York City, US.