Certora, the leading Web3 security assurance provider, has formed a strategic partnership with Cork, a DeFi risk-management protocol, and Hypernative, a real-time threat monitoring leader. Under the deal, Certora becomes Cork's Security Partner of Record, integrating security into every layer of the protocol lifecycle — from design and verification to deployment, monitoring, and operations.
The collaboration combines Certora's formal verification and end-to-end security framework with Hypernative's advanced real-time monitoring, delivering institutional-grade safeguards for Cork users. “Business-as-usual security just doesn’t cut it in DeFi,” said Baptiste Florentin, CTO of Cork. “We chose Certora to go beyond point-in-time audits and build a holistic, end-to-end security discipline deeply integrated with our codebase, change management, and production operations.”
The move comes as Web3 scaling drives up security costs. According to the FBI’s 2024 IC3 report, crypto-related fraud accounted for $9.3 billion in losses, a 66% increase from the previous year, with nearly 150,000 complaints tied to digital assets. “Certora was founded to bring the rigor of enterprise-grade assurance — used in industries like aeronautics and finance — to decentralized systems,” said Seth Hallem, CEO of Certora. “By partnering with Cork and Hypernative, we’re not just helping one protocol; we’re redefining how Web3 handles risk, transparency, and operational resilience.”
Certora: Enterprise-Grade Formal Verification
Certora’s flagship tool, the Prover, is already used by Aave, Lido, and Maker to catch rare and hard-to-find bugs. Under this partnership, Cork’s smart contracts will undergo formal verification from the development stage, moving beyond post-deployment audits.
Cork: A Programmable Risk Layer for Onchain Assets
Cork provides a programmable risk layer for vault tokens, yield-bearing stablecoins, liquid (re)staking tokens, and RWAs. It enables asset managers to spin up custom swap markets that improve redemption liquidity, risk transparency, and market confidence. Backed by a16z crypto, OrangeDAO, and Steakhouse Financial, Cork aims to bring institutional capital into onchain credit markets.
Hypernative: Real-Time Detection of 300+ Risk Types
Hypernative monitors both onchain and offchain data using machine learning, heuristics, simulations, and graph-based analysis. It covers over 300 risk types, from smart contract hacks and bridge security incidents to frontend compromises, market manipulation, and private key theft. Its automated response can give teams minutes to act before exploits cause damage. “Web3 security is taking another leap today to filter out bad actors, but we’re equally raising risk standards for everyone operating in this space,” said Gal Sagie, Co-Founder and CEO of Hypernative.
The three partners are building a model that embeds security by design, creating systems that are safer for users and more scalable for developers. Details of the partnership are available on Certora’s blog.