Security by Design: Certora, Cork, and Hypernative Set New Benchmarks for DeFi Protection

Certora, Cork, and Hypernative have formed a strategic alliance to transform security protocols within the Web3 landscape, with a focus on integrating "security by design" into blockchain frameworks. This partnership

that not only withstand security threats but also offer scalability for developers and clarity for end users. By merging Certora's expertise in formal verification, Cork's customizable risk management platform, and Hypernative's instant threat monitoring, the three companies are establishing themselves as frontrunners in tackling the increasingly intricate security issues facing decentralized finance (DeFi) .

Certora, a leader in blockchain security, has already proven its value in risk reduction. In a recent collaboration with

, Certora helped avert a possible $4.1 million loss by detecting a major flaw in the V2 meta-stable pools. Working alongside SEAL, a security company, they executed a white-hat recovery to protect user assets on , Optimism, and by retiring the compromised pools. This case for proactive defense in DeFi, where vulnerabilities in smart contracts are responsible for over 70% of breaches projected for 2025.

The alliance with Cork and Hypernative builds upon Certora's strengths in formal verification, a technique adopted by protocols such as

and Lido to uncover even rare bugs during development. Cork, supported by a16z crypto and other major investors, brings a programmable risk framework for tokenized assets, allowing asset managers to boost both liquidity and transparency. Hypernative, on the other hand, and graph analytics to track more than 300 types of risks in real time, ranging from smart contract breaches to front-end attacks.

The necessity for such joint efforts is underscored by recent DeFi security incidents. Balancer's V2 pools, for example, suffered multiple attacks, including a $116 million exploit in 2023. Although the V3 version was not impacted, these events stress the importance of ongoing security reviews and timely upgrades. Certora's intervention in the $4.1 million incident

can help contain losses, even as cyber threats become more sophisticated.

Gal Sagie, Hypernative's CEO, pointed out the wider significance of this collaboration: "Our goal goes beyond blocking malicious actors; we're setting higher risk management benchmarks for the sector as a whole." Embedding security by design

and impact of DeFi attacks, which, despite an 85% decline in October 2025, continue to pose ongoing risks.

As DeFi platforms expand, the partnership among Certora, Cork, and Hypernative marks a significant move toward security standards fit for institutions. By uniting formal verification, risk assessment, and real-time surveillance, the alliance seeks to build greater confidence in Web3—a vital development as blockchain technology gains traction in mainstream financial sectors.