Smart contract audits have become as critical as ever, given the regular hacks in the decentralized finance (DeFi) industry. DeFi developers must choose adept auditors to review their apps and fix security issues, and this article will list the five best smart contract auditing companies. They include:

1. Hashlock

Hashlock is the industry leading independent blockchain cybersecurity and smart contract auditing firm. They are a highly specialised web3 auditing firm coming from community auditing backgrounds and differentiate by the number of findings and maintaining a high level of collaboration with security experts and clients, both in Australia and globally. Hashlock is one of the fastest growing smart contract auditing firms and has worked with clients such as peaq, Redbelly Network, 5ire, and more.

2. Certik

Certik is arguably the best-known and biggest blockchain auditing firm. It was founded in 2018 by professors from Columbia University and Yale University, two leading American colleges. Since then, the New York-based firm has audited over 14,000 projects with a nearly $400 billion market capitalization. Certik's website boasts of detecting and fixing 60,000+ vulnerabilities for over 4,000 clients.

Indeed, Certik has audited many popular cryptocurrency projects: BNB Chain, Trust Wallet, PancakeSwap, and Coreum, to name a few. It’s the most experienced auditing firm you can choose to review your blockchain project. However, note that Certik’s audits don’t come cheap.

3. ConsenSys Diligence

ConsenSys is a big name in the blockchain sector. Joe Lubin, a co-founder of the popular Ethereum blockchain, founded this company. ConsenSys offers a range of services to DeFi companies, including audits under its Diligence brand.

This firm provides comprehensive contract auditing services. It has performed audits for over 100 DeFi companies and helped fix hundreds of vulnerabilities. ConsenSys offers more than typical audits. It also provides contract testing, threat modeling, automated security analysis, incident response planning, and enterprise security consulting services. With ConsenSys as your security partner, your DeFi project is in good hands.

4. Pessimistic

Pessimistic is a top-notch smart contract audit company. Founded in 2017 by a team of blockchain and cybersecurity experts, Pessimistic has performed over 400 audits and helped fix 2,600+ vulnerabilities. Prominent clients include Rarible, Lido, Fluence, Morpho, Kyber Network, and many others.

Pessimistic offers extensive auditing services for different types of blockchain projects, including smart contracts, decentralized apps (dapps), and protocols. It offers both automated and manual testing, though relying more on the latter. This firm is renowned for its speed, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. It notably provides post-audit services to keep DeFi projects safe in the long term.

5. Hacken

Hacken is a well-known blockchain security auditor. This firm is staffed with dozens of adept engineers and security experts to review contract codebases and detect vulnerabilities. Since its inception in 2017, Hacken has performed audits for over 1,000+ clients, including prominent names like Binance, NEAR, Radix, and WhiteBIT.

Hacken audits smart contracts, blockchain protocols, and decentralized apps. It also provides penetration testing services for DeFi apps. Likewise, this firm manages bug bounty programs for DeFi project owners. Hacken is there for you if you’re looking for a reliable security partner.

6. SlowMist

SlowMist is a Singapore-based blockchain auditing firm founded in 2018. It has conducted extensive auditing services for various DeFi projects: blockchain protocols, wallet apps, cryptocurrency exchanges, and smart contracts. SlowMist offers security consulting, active monitoring, and penetration testing services. It also helps DeFi companies create and implement security defense solutions to stay safe in the long term.

SlowMist has worked with many notable clients, including 1inch, HTX, Bybit, Acala, DFX, and MerlinChain. It’s a reliable firm to choose as your security partner.