How CertiK rebuilt trust after Huione-related backlash

The cybersecurity steadfast has "no factual plans" for an IPO contempt reports to the contrary past month.

Feb 12, 2026, 2:13 a.m.

CertiK CEO Ronghui Gu told CoinDesk that the information steadfast has nary factual IPO timeline, but the company’s effect to past year’s Huione-related backlash and accelerated propulsion into organization products has positioned it arsenic a credible campaigner for a multi-billion-dollar nationalist listing.

When CertiK conducted an audit of what aboriginal turned retired to beryllium a stablecoin task linked to the illicit marketplace Huione, the steadfast faced dense online criticism. Gu framed the occurrence arsenic a wake-up telephone alternatively than a reputational endgame. CertiK publically clarified it had audited codification supplied by a U.S.-registered client, earlier donating the interest to charity.

"What we bash is we fortify our existent KYC procedure,” helium told CoinDesk. "Also enactment with immoderate outer capableness providers to trim the risk.” On monitoring post-audit use, helium added: “After we merchandise a report, we volition support a precise adjacent oculus connected however this study being used.”

CertiK is ramping up its endeavor offerings portion keeping protocol audits arsenic its main gross stream. “Our existent concern was inactive and I would accidental that inactive volition beryllium the main gross source,” Gu said, but helium stressed these services indispensable beryllium “pushed to an organization grade.”

In January Gu ignited treatment astatine Davos by suggesting that his steadfast were exploring an IPO, reports helium present claims are exaggerated contempt beardown capitalist demand.

"We raised much than $240 cardinal and I tin archer you we person much wealth than that successful our bank,” portion acknowledging capitalist appetite. “We already received respective requests,” helium said, noting that media sum sometimes misinterpreted his Davos remarks: “I explicitly accidental that we bash not person a factual plan. There's nary factual timeline yet, but…many really reached retired to us.”

On valuation and the IPO question helium struck a measured tone: “People inactive don’t cognize however to springiness the valuation for a web3-native company,” helium said. He confirmed CertiK’s capitalist roster includes large names, Sequoia, Goldman Sachs and Coinbase, and hinted astatine selective additions: “We’re going to present 1 oregon 2 much strategical investors.”

The times are changing

When asked what onslaught vectors were becoming astir prevalent crossed the crypto market, Gu argued that the hazard illustration successful crypto has moved beyond smart-contract exploits.

“Operational hazard became a bigger risk,” helium said, alluding to private-key mismanagement, deepfakes and oracle manipulation. On AI-enabled impersonations, helium was candid: “Deep fake is tough…we are inactive studying however to mitigate it.

He added that CertiK tin assistance institutions but stressed the request for collaboration: “We request to enactment intimately with our clients to assistance them reappraisal their interior argumentation oregon solution astir the cardinal management.”

For Gu, the post-Huione reforms are some reputational repair and strategical mentation for organization clients.

“These institutions privation institutional-grade auditing — ceremonial verification that tin show determination are nary bugs,” helium said, noting request from ample banks crossed jurisdictions.

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