Introduction
CertiK and YZi Labs have announced the launch of a $1 million security grant aimed at strengthening safety standards across Web3 and artificial intelligence ecosystems. The initiative is positioned as a targeted funding program to support early stage startups and developer teams working on security focused solutions. It reflects growing industry concern around vulnerabilities in smart contracts, decentralized applications, and AI driven systems.
The grant has been introduced at a time when Web3 and AI adoption is expanding across financial services, gaming, data infrastructure, and enterprise platforms. As system complexity increases, the attack surface has widened, making proactive security investment a priority. The program is expected to encourage security by design rather than reactive risk mitigation. This approach aligns with broader industry efforts to build long term trust in decentralized and intelligent technologies.
Quick Summary – TLDR
- CertiK has secured over $600B in assets across protocols.
- Web3 hacks caused $2B+ losses historically and $3.4B in 2025 alone.
- Blockchain-AI market projected to grow from $550-680M in 2025 to explosive expansion.
- Web3 market expected to hit $41.45B by 2030 at 45.15% CAGR.
- AI agent projects raised $1.39B in 2025, up 9.4% YoY.
- Traditional audits cost $50K-$500K, straining early-stage teams.
About CertiK
CertiK, founded in 2018 by professors from Yale and Columbia Universities, operates as the largest blockchain security auditor from New York. The company leverages AI and formal verification to protect smart contracts, protocols, and Web3 assets across the full development lifecycle. It has served nearly 4,000 enterprise clients, secured over $360 billion in digital assets, and detected around 70,000 vulnerabilities.
CertiK’s tools include Skynet for real-time monitoring, penetration testing, AML compliance, and incident response, backed by investors like Sequoia, Tiger Global, and Coinbase. Its mission emphasizes safety and correctness for mission-critical applications in DeFi, rollups, and beyond. The firm continues to lead in 2026 with innovations in zkVMs and regulatory-aligned security frameworks.
Professor Ronghui Gu, Co-Founder and CEO of CertiK, added, “the collaboration with YZi Labs is expected to significantly enhance security standards across Web3 projects by offering stronger protection against emerging risks. Improved security is viewed as a core requirement for supporting long-term project development and ensuring operational stability. Strong safeguards also help build trust among developers, users, and investors. Overall, higher security levels were positioned as essential to maintaining the health, resilience, and sustainable growth of the wider Web3 ecosystem.”
About YZi Labs
YZi Labs, rebranded from Binance Labs in January 2025, functions as an independent venture firm led by Ella Zhang with advisory from CZ and Yi He. It invests across stages in Web3, AI, and biotech, managing over $10 billion in assets with a focus on impact-first, long-term innovation. The firm backs foundational builders through incubation programs like the 12-week EASY Residency for collaborative development.
YZi Labs’ portfolio spans 300+ projects in 25+ countries, with successes including Polygon, Injective, SafePal, and Dune Analytics. Its strategy bridges sectors, such as AI-blockchain data integrity or DeSci biotech models, emphasizing patient capital for systemic scale. The EASY program now integrates security grants to support resilient growth in emerging technologies.
Ella Zhang, head of YZi Labs, stated that security remains a core requirement for long-term business success, particularly in Web3 and AI-driven ventures. However, for early-stage founders, security is often viewed as a complex and high-risk responsibility at a time when attention is primarily focused on achieving Product-Market Fit. As a result, limited resources and time constraints can make it difficult for young companies to address security in a structured and scalable manner during the initial stages of growth.
Focus on AI-Blockchain Integration
The grant specifically targets innovation in AI-driven security mechanisms, zero-trust architectures, and decentralized intelligence frameworks that improve the reliability and transparency of blockchain systems. Projects that apply AI to enhance security audits, predict potential vulnerabilities, or create autonomous verification mechanisms stand to benefit the most. By promoting this convergence of AI and blockchain, CertiK and YZi Labs aim to advance next-generation security infrastructure across Web3.
As decentralized applications begin to integrate on-chain AI agents for automation, the security risks associated with data exposure and decision-making algorithms also increase. Addressing these issues early ensures safer environments for scalable applications in sectors like decentralized finance (DeFi), digital identity, and governance systems. The program’s design encourages open collaboration between AI researchers, security experts, and blockchain developers to co-develop practical solutions for real-world implementation.
CertiK Services Beyond Audits
CertiK offers Skynet Score for real-time Web3 project evaluation across 17,000+ protocols, providing objective risk assessments. Penetration testing targets off-chain and application layers with Web2/Web3 expertise. SkyInsights delivers AML/CTF compliance, transaction monitoring, and risk analytics for VASPs.
Additional tools include formal verification for mathematical guarantees, SkyNode validation on 20+ chains staking $1.2B+, and incident response. AI-based scanning and ongoing monitoring ensure post-audit protection. These integrate into grants for comprehensive, launch-to-scale security.
Impact on Early-Stage Web3 Security
The grant promotes early audits, reducing vulnerability exposure and potential losses like 2025’s $3.4B hacks by embedding security in incubation. It sets standards for institutional-grade practices, potentially lowering overall exploit rates through proactive fixes. Better-secured startups attract more funding, fostering a safer ecosystem with fewer high-profile breaches. Metrics improve via widespread Skynet monitoring and compliance, easing regulatory hurdles and building investor trust. Industry-wide adoption could cut early-stage failure rates from security flaws. Long-term, it accelerates resilient innovation in AI-Web3 intersections.
Eligibility and Selection Approach
The grant program is designed for startups, independent developers, and research teams building in Web3 or AI security domains. Preference is expected to be given to projects with clear technical roadmaps and demonstrable security impact. Teams are likely to be evaluated on innovation depth, implementation feasibility, and ecosystem relevance. This ensures that funding is allocated to solutions with measurable outcomes.
Selection is expected to follow a structured review process involving technical assessment and risk evaluation. Projects that address real world attack vectors or improve system resilience are likely to be prioritized. The process aims to balance inclusivity with technical rigor. This approach reduces speculative funding while encouraging high quality submissions.
Industry Impact and Strategic Importance
The launch of this grant highlights the growing role of security as a core infrastructure layer rather than a secondary feature. As capital and users continue to flow into Web3 and AI platforms, security failures can have systemic consequences. Proactive funding programs help mitigate these risks at an early stage. They also signal stronger accountability across the ecosystem.
From an industry perspective, the initiative is expected to strengthen developer awareness around secure architecture. It may also accelerate the standardization of security best practices across decentralized and AI driven systems. Over time, such efforts can reduce large scale breaches and operational disruptions. This contributes to higher confidence among enterprises, regulators, and end users adopting these technologies.
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Outlook
The $1 million grant program represents a focused investment in the foundational security layer of emerging technologies. By supporting innovation at the development stage, CertiK and YZi Labs are positioning security as an enabler of growth rather than a constraint. This strategy aligns with long term ecosystem sustainability.
As Web3 and AI continue to converge, security challenges are expected to become more interconnected. Initiatives like this grant can play a critical role in shaping resilient digital infrastructure. Continued collaboration between security firms, developers, and research teams will be essential. The program sets a precedent for targeted, impact driven security funding in next generation technology markets.