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Technical insights
Deep dives into smart contract vulnerabilities, blockchain security best practices, and technical research from CertiK engineers.
EducationalWhat is Blockchain Analysis?Blockchain analysis is the process of inspecting, cataloging, and interpreting the data that blockchains produce in order to gain actionable insights. It can also help you take control of your own personal security, by displaying exactly how much traceable information every transaction creates. As more and more value shifts onto public blockchains, it’s worth remembering that all activity is out in the open, viewable by anyone and everyone.
EducationalWhat is Centralization Risk?Centralization risk at its core is a single point of failure within a DeFi protocol. Smart contracts with centralized ownership are riskier than contracts with a timelock or multi-signature key ownership. In smart contract audits, this is the most common major issue pointed out by the CertiK security experts
EducationalWhat Is DeFi SecurityThe total TVL (Total Value Locked) in DeFi protocols reached over $75B in 2021. With these kinds of numbers, the importance of DeFi security is clear. There are numerous measures in place to help combat these hacks and exploits
EducationalWhat is a Flash Loan?Flash Loans are a new invention in the DeFi space that was first introduced to the blockchain space by Ethereum based lending protocol AAVE in January of 2020. A flash loan is an uncollateralized extremely short-term loan. The loans are borrowed and repaid in the same transaction run by a smart contract. AAVE among others understands the importance of smart contract audits as it pertains to their DeFi protocols. However, smart contract audits are not a perfect solution as there can be vulnerabilities not in the code but in the design of a protocol. Let’s take a look at how flash loans exposed one such type of vulnerability, but first, we need to better understand flash loans.
EducationalWhat is KYC in Crypto?KYC or Know Your Customer (sometimes Know Your Client) refers to a set of rules and obligations that financial institutions must adhere to in jurisdictions like the USA, EU, Australia, and many more. These measures are put in place to help fight money laundering and other financial crimes. 
EducationalWhat is a Liquidity Pool?Liquidity pools enable users to buy and sell crypto on decentralized exchanges and other DeFi platforms without the need for centralized market makers. They play a crucial role in driving the feasibility of the existing DeFi technology stack.
EducationalWhat is a Smart Contract Audit?A smart contract audit is a line-by-line inspection of a contract’s source code. At CertiK, our team of experienced auditors manually review smart contracts, identifying code errors and potential risks. We also use advanced mathematical approaches such as formal verification to analyze the logical soundness of contracts.
EducationalWhat is Decentralization?Decentralization has become a buzzword with many people using the term to describe networks that may not be decentralized. In this blog, we will explain the differences between Centralized, Decentralized, and Distributed networks.
EducationalWhat is a DDoS Attack? How Can it Affect Crypto?A DDoS attack, which stands for “distributed denial-of-service” is a malicious attempt to disrupt the normal traffic of a targeted server, service or network by overwhelming the target or its surrounding infrastructure with a flood of Internet traffic. DDoS attacks are mainly a problem seen in the traditional cybersecurity world, but how does this relate to crypto and blockchain?
EducationalWhat Is a Phishing Attack? Tips on How to Protect YourselfPhishing attacks aren’t native to crypto and is a type of scam that is as old as the internet, but with crypto there are some new implications. Learn more about how to protect yourself and your funds!
EducationalWhat Is a Rugpull? Tips on How To Avoid Them Rugpulls have turned into one of the most prolific types of scams seen throughout DeFi. There are a number of things to watch out for that may alert you to the possibility of a project being a rugpull in the making.
EducationalWhat is a Timelock?In light of the numerous hacks, scams, and rugpulls across various DeFi platforms, timelocks are one indicator that a project is legitimate. Timelocks have been used by many project owners to demonstrate their commitment to the ongoing health of their platform.