Crypto IPO Boom Accelerates as Security Giant CertiK Announces Public Listing Plans
The floodgates are open—blockchain's back-office titans want a piece of the public market action.
Security First, Profits Later?
Audit firms spent years preaching 'security over hype' while quietly building war chests. Now, with investor appetite returning, they're swapping the consultant's hat for the shareholder prospectus. It's a classic pivot: secure the networks, then secure the bag.
The Institutional Stampede
This isn't just a niche play. When the companies that verify code and chase hackers decide to go public, it signals a sector-wide maturation. Venture capital wants exits, and the traditional finance pipeline—often skeptical of direct crypto plays—might just warm up to the 'picks and shovels' businesses behind the digital gold rush. Another cynical finance tale: building the guardrails is suddenly more lucrative than mining the gold.
What's really driving the trend? A hunger for legitimacy that only a ticker symbol and quarterly earnings calls can provide. The move positions these firms not just as service providers, but as foundational infrastructure—the indispensable plumbing in the new financial system. Expect more to follow. After all, nothing validates a market like the auditors cashing in.
Going public is the next logical step, says CertiK chief
Gu said in a statement that going public is the next logical step to grow CertiK’s products and technology.
“We remain focused on strengthening the trust, security, and transparency that regulators, institutions, and users expect from the Web3 ecosystem,” said the co-founder of CertiK.
Established in 2018, CertiK, located in New York, reviews blockchain smart contracts and collaborates with cryptocurrency companies to enhance product security. Gu stated the firm has served more than 5,000 clients and reviewed code protecting around $600 billion in assets.
CertiK often secures substantial funding. Since its founding in 2018, the firm raised $296 million and reached a $2 billion valuation by early 2022. Among the investors are crypto exchange Binance, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Tiger Global, Sequoia Capital, and Goldman Sachs.
Binance is CertiK’s largest backer
Gu stated that Binance was CertiK’s first and largest financial supporter, and the company has also secured funding from Coinbase and SoftBank Vision Fund 2.
At the start of this month, CertiK formed a key alliance with YZi Labs, the family office of Binance founder Changpeng Zhao. Gu said in the interview that Binance recently made another multi-eight-figure investment in CertiK, becoming their largest investor.
A surge in initial public offerings is taking place in the web3 space. CertiK announced this as more crypto companies plan to go public due to rising institutional investor interest.
Circle, the issuer of USDC, raised $1 billion in its IPO last year. Investors were eager to join the growing stablecoin market. More IPOs from Bullish, Gemini, Galaxy Digital, Figure, and Exodus raised large amounts by meeting crypto demand.
On Thursday, BitGo, a crypto custodian, began the year by securing $213 million in its IPO from investors. Kraken, Ledger, Consensys, and Aminoca Brands plan to launch public offerings later this year.
The year 2026 appears poised for major success. Gu said many expect IPOs from web3 native firms, especially infrastructure ones like CertiK, which aims to be the first public Web3 cybersecurity company.
CertiK tries to fix past operational mistakes
CertiK aims for an IPO while striving to restore trust following multiple mistakes.
The company faced criticism recently for auditing code tied to cybercriminals, mishandling a Kraken exchange exploit, and its X account being hacked.
CertiK said a phishing attack on an employee led to the compromise of its X account. The company faced heavy criticism for admitting that its employees found and exploited a $3 million bug in the crypto exchange Kraken. CertiK said the event was a “whitehat” action meant to check Kraken’s security.
In 2025, CertiK issued an apology for collaborating with a Cambodian marketplace connected to illegal activity.
According to a Cryptopolitan report, the web3 firm was misled to audit the code of a stablecoin released by Huione Guarantee. The stablecoin, USDH, was created as a censorship-resistant alternative to Tether’s USDT.
Huione Guarantee operates as a marketplace where cybercriminals launder stolen funds, trade hacking tools and personal data, and sell shock collars and stun batons linked to forced labor scams in Southeast Asia.
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