Why Security Is Becoming Crypto’s Most Critical Infrastructure — Interview with CertiK’s Angus Lee

Security has quietly become the backbone of the crypto industry. As capital scales, institutions circle closer, and infrastructure matures, the margin for error shrinks. Exploits are no longer just headlines. They are existential threats. In this environment, credibility is everything.

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Over the years, it has worked with thousands of projects across DeFi, exchanges, gaming, and core infrastructure, helping secure billions of dollars in digital assets and establishing itself as a standard bearer for on chain security. 

This conversation with Angus Lee, Director of Business Development at CertiK, took place at Consensus in Hong Kong. 

Understanding CertiK’s Positioning In The Industry

The conversation begins with a brief introduction on the company. Founded in 2017 by professors from Yale and Columbia University, CertiK has grown into one of the most recognized security firms in Web3. The company specializes in smart contract audits, formal verification, AI powered monitoring, and real time threat detection. 

“CertiK is currently regarded as the largest Web3 cybersecurity and audit firm right now.” - Angus Lee

With a strong focus in the Asia region, Angus clearly sets the tone for their presence, especially presenting at Consensus, Hong Kong. Visitors to their booth experienced a full report on prediction markets for 2026, highlighting Certik’s research driven approach. This pattern is not new as Angus expresses how this is a core component of what makes Certik leaders in the space.

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Prediction Markets Fueling Speculative Plays In 2026

As the report was mentioned during the interview, Angus expressed how the popularity of prediction markets have fueled interest for the company. With that in mind, more LTV in these markets calls for the need for better cybersecurity as more is at stake. This is where CertiK’s value proposition shines.

“Recently as we all know, the topic of prediction markets is becoming very popular.” - Angus Lee

Despite admitting to being more focused on the business side of CertiK, he was still able to articulate exactly why this growing demand presents problems in terms of security infrastructure. With more user funds and more volume in these markets, there can be more lucrative exploits for hackers. This puts a target on these platforms and Angus confidently explains how CertiK’s capabilities serve as a perfect fit for ensuring safety on these platforms.

The Importance of Audits

When the conversation turned to audits, Angus was quick to clarify a common misconception. An audit is not a one time event. It is not a certificate that guarantees permanent safety. In a space where code is constantly evolving and attackers are constantly adapting, security cannot be static.

Too often, projects treat audits as a launch milestone. Complete the review, publish the report, move forward. But the threat landscape does not pause after deployment. Hackers study codebases just as carefully as auditors do. They test assumptions. They probe integrations. They look for edge cases that only appear once real capital and real user behavior enter the system.

Angus emphasized that the creativity of attackers is increasing. As more money flows into Web3, the incentives become stronger. Exploits are no longer just opportunistic in many cases. Bad actors are willing to plan, especially when complex mechanisms like bridges, prediction markets, or layered DeFi protocols are involved.

“Cybersecurity is very important because if you get exploited even just once, then your brand, all your efforts, and all your users’ funds can be in jeopardy.” - Angus Lee

Blockster’s Thoughts

Web3 was built on the promise of removing middlemen. Removing gatekeepers. Removing the need to trust centralized authorities. And in many ways, it has delivered on that promise. DeFi, smart contracts, permissionless markets.

These are structural breakthroughs that are already reshaping how value moves across the internet. However, decentralization does not mean the absence of standards.

If anything, the more autonomous systems become, the more disciplined their foundations must be. Code governs capital. Logic replaces institutions. And when billions of dollars sit inside immutable contracts, there has to be a layer of oversight that ensures everyone is playing by the same rules.

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If Web3 is going to move from niche adoption to global infrastructure, security cannot be an afterthought. Companies like CertiK are proving that in a trust minimized world, trust still needs to be engineered. 

Angus Lee and the rest of the team at CertiK have already proven themselves to be leaders in the industry and for good reason. We’re excited to see more and more projects protecting themselves with their services.