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Technical insights
Deep dives into smart contract vulnerabilities, blockchain security best practices, and technical research from CertiK engineers.
EducationalWhat is Web3 Penetration Testing?Web3 has introduced a new era of decentralized applications (dApps) and blockchain-based systems. As the use of these technologies and the value secured by them grow, the need for secure Web3 development and implementation also increases. 
EducationalSmart Contract Security: Protecting Digital AssetsSecurity – in the context of smart contracts – refers to the prevention of unauthorized access, modification, or theft of the assets and agreements that smart contracts hold.
EducationalWhat is a Blockchain Audit and How Does It Work?The importance of blockchain audits and how they work. We will also explore the benefits of conducting a blockchain audit and why it should be a top priority for L1 founders and the developers who build applications on top of these base layers.
EducationalHow AI Can Enhance Cybersecurity: A Primer on Deep Learning and its ApplicationsAI-powered tools such as ChatGPT have attracted considerable interest in the software development community. These tools have many applications, including to the security of Web3 platforms and smart contracts.
EducationalWhat is a Soulbound NFT?“Soulbound” NFTs have attracted attention recently, with Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin being one notable proponent. The concept of a soulbound NFT is derived from the online multiplayer game World of Warcraft. In the game, users are able to obtain high-level weapons and accessories that cannot be traded or exchanged but are instead tied to the user’s account, thus they are “soulbound.” 
EducationalWhat is Formal Verification in Smart Contract Auditing?Formal verification is a method of mathematically proving that a computer program functions as intended. It involves expressing the program's properties and expected behavior as mathematical formulas, and then using automated tools to check that these formulas hold true. This process helps ensure that the program meets its desired specifications.
EducationalHacktivism Report: Part OneHacktivism is the act of misusing a computer system or network for a socially or politically motivated reason. This report examines the history and techniques of hacktivism in Web3, the laws and regulations developed in response to Web3 hacks, and looks at several case studies that are most famous for their hacktivism.
EducationalAn Introduction to the Cairo Programming LanguageEthereum layer 2 scaling solutions are rapidly evolving, and zero-knowledge rollups are one of the most exciting developments in the space. This article examines StarkNet - a general purpose ZK-rollup - and the programming language it uses: Cairo.
EducationalUpgradeable Proxy Contract Security Best PracticesProxy patterns enable contracts to upgrade their logic while maintaining their on-chain address and state values. This article gives an overview of the types of proxy contracts, associated security incidents and recommendations, as well as best practices when implementing a proxy contract.
EducationalAn Introduction to MoveMove is a relatively new programming language which has seen application in a number of Web3 projects. We recently audited a novel Layer 1 blockchain which supports smart contracts written in Move, and thought we’d take this opportunity to give a general overview of Move.
EducationalWhat is Solana?Solana is a blockchain that performs many of the same functions as other smart contract-enabled chains – like Ethereum, Avalanche, Binance Chain, and others – while utilizing a novel approach to consensus about transaction ordering: Proof of History.
EducationalRealizing Post-Quantum Security with AlgorandThe benefits of quantum computers are manifold, offering incredibly faster processing, and even providing solutions to an entirely new class of problems. However, with the newly tapped power that quantum computers provide comes an entirely new class of security risk that could trample over existing non-quantum security protocols. This blog post will provide a rundown of how quantum computing can threaten web3, and the steps Algorand has taken to protect it.