Crypto Auditing Platform Sherlock Raises $4M in Funding

The protocol features an open auditor competition to help find smart contract vulnerabilities

AccessTimeIconSep 14, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. UTC
Updated May 11, 2023 at 5:39 p.m. UTC
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
May 29-31, 2024 - Austin, TexasThe biggest and most established global hub for everything crypto, blockchain and Web3.Register Now

Smart contract auditing platform Sherlock has raised $4 million in a seed round led by Archetype. The funding comes during a wave of multimillion-dollar crypto hacks, which often exploit weaknesses in the underlying code of Web3 protocols.

“No auditors have incentives aligned with the protocols they audit. Sherlock is the first auditor that actually cares if a protocol they audit gets hacked because we pay out up to $10 million if they do get hacked,” Sherlock co-founder Jack Sanford told CoinDesk in an interview.

  • Why Sequoia Capital Is Raising $600M to Launch New Crypto Fund
    Why Sequoia Capital Is Raising $600M to Launch New Crypto Fund
  • Twitter Joined $20M Funding Round for Bitcoin Payments Provider OpenNode
    06:14
    Twitter Joined $20M Funding Round for Bitcoin Payments Provider OpenNode
  • Twitter Joined $20M Funding Round for Bitcoin Payments Provider OpenNode
    06:14
    Twitter Joined $20M Funding Round for Bitcoin Payments Provider OpenNode
  • Polygon Raises $450M to Build Web 3 Applications, Invest in Zero-knowledge Tech
    06:55
    Polygon Raises $450M to Build Web 3 Applications, Invest in Zero-knowledge Tech
  • Hackers stole $1.9 billion worth of cryptocurrencies through July, up from nearly $1.2 billion at the same time last year, according to recent Chainanalysis data. August started off with the nearly $200 million breach of cross-chain bridge Nomad, and an attack of Solana-based wallets drained at least $5 million in cryptocurrency.

    Crypto protocol audits typically include two to three auditors scouring the code over a few weeks. Sherlock, which sells its solutions directly to protocols, starts with one or two senior auditors taking a brief look at the code. Sherlock then hosts an auditing competition where entrants are financially rewarded for finding vulnerabilities. The auditors come from a list of people that Sherlock has worked with before, but approved auditors will eventually include the top contest performers, explained Sanford.

    Sherlock recently launched an incentive program for investors who want to stake assets to the auditing protocol. Stakers can receive 10% annual percentage yield (APY) on the USDC stablecoin, plus 5% APY on the native SHER token, which has yet to begin trading.

    The new capital will be used to build out the team and to fund outside audits on the Sherlock platform, said Sanford. Other participants in the funding round included digital asset management group Spartan and crypto-focused venture capital firms Lattice and CoinFund. Last month, CoinFund launched a $300 million fund to make early-stage investments in Web3 projects.

    Disclosure

    Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

    CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.

    Brandy Betz

    Brandy covered crypto-related venture capital deals for CoinDesk.


    Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.