CertiK
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| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Blockchain security |
| Founded | 2017 |
| Founders | Ronghui Gu Zhong Shao |
| Headquarters | New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Website | www |
CertiK is an American blockchain security company headquartered in New York City. Founded in 2017 by computer scientists Ronghui Gu and Zhong Shao, the company specializes in smart contract auditing, formal verification, and blockchain security services. Its work originates from research on formally verified operating systems and software verification developed by its founders in academia.[1]
The company has received coverage in technology and financial publications for its application of formal verification to blockchain security, its venture capital funding, and its growth within the Web3 cybersecurity industry.[1][2][3]
History
[edit]CertiK was founded in 2017 by Ronghui Gu, a professor of computer science at Columbia University, and Zhong Shao, a professor of computer science at Yale University.[4] Before establishing the company, the founders conducted research on formal verification and operating system security, including the development of CertiKOS, a formally verified operating system designed to improve software reliability through mathematical verification.[5][1]
According to MIT Technology Review, the company was established to apply formal verification techniques developed in academic research to blockchain software and smart contracts.[1]
During its early years, CertiK expanded from research-based software verification into blockchain security services, including smart contract auditing and security monitoring for blockchain networks.[6]
Operations
[edit]CertiK provides security services for blockchain networks, smart contracts, decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols, and Web3 applications. Its activities include smart contract auditing, formal verification, penetration testing, and blockchain security monitoring.[7]
According to MIT Technology Review, the company's approach emphasizes formal verification, using mathematical methods to verify software behavior in addition to conventional security testing.[1]
The company also develops monitoring tools for blockchain ecosystems that identify potential security risks affecting smart contracts and decentralized applications.[8]
Funding
[edit]In July 2021, CertiK announced a US$37 million Series B funding round led by Coatue Management and Shunwei Capital, with participation from Coinbase Ventures and other investors.[9]
Later in 2021, the company raised an additional US$80 million in a Series B2 funding round. CoinDesk reported that the investment increased CertiK's valuation to nearly US$1 billion.[10]
In April 2022, CertiK announced an additional US$88 million funding round led by Insight Partners, Tiger Global Management, and Advent International. Following the investment, several financial publications reported that the company had reached a valuation of approximately US$2 billion.[2][11][12]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 Thompson, Clive (2 January 2023). "The computer scientist who hunts for costly bugs in crypto code". MIT Technology Review. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- 1 2 "Blockchain Security Firm CertiK Confirms $88M Raise at $2B Valuation". CoinDesk. 7 April 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- ↑ "Certik获区块链安全赛道单笔最大8000万美元融资". Forbes China (in Chinese). Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- ↑ "对话CertiK联合创始人顾荣辉：一位全职教授的行业生态开创之道". Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- ↑ "CertiKOS: A breakthrough toward hacker-resistant operating systems". Yale News. 14 November 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- ↑ "Blockchain Security Firm CertiK Raises $37M Funding". Blockworks. 14 July 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- ↑ "【引進科企】增添網安保障 守護Web3.0". Wen Wei Po. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- ↑ "Blockchain Security Firm CertiK Just Raised $88M, SEC Docs Show". CoinDesk. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- ↑ "Blockchain Security Firm CertiK Raises $37M Funding". Blockworks. 14 July 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- ↑ "Blockchain Security Firm CertiK Raises $80M at Nearly $1B Valuation". CoinDesk. 1 December 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- ↑ "区块链安全公司CertiK完成20亿美元估值B3轮融资". Yicai. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- ↑ "CertiK估值130亿，Web3诞生一只独角兽：老虎高盛红杉投了". Jiemian Global. Retrieved 5 August 2026.