Attacking and Defending Blockchains: From Horror Stories to Secure Wallets

The presentation discusses the importance of securing blockchain systems and wallets, and highlights some of the most significant security failures in the industry.

• Different types of wallets and their pros and cons are reviewed
• Hardware-based wallets are discussed as a more secure option
• Examples of bugs found in popular Bitcoin software utilities are presented
• The speaker shares anecdotes about auditing blockchain systems and designing a commercial product for cryptocurrency storage
• The presentation highlights some of the most dramatic Ethereum smart contract issues and the case of Iota's custom crypto

The speaker shares a story about Iota's custom crypto, which was designed without proper security audits or peer review, leading to a vulnerability that could have resulted in the theft of millions of dollars worth of tokens.

This talk will review some of the most spectacular security failures in blockchain systems, and will help you mitigate your risks. We will notably review some of the most dramatic Ethereum smart contract issues, discuss objectively the case of Iota's custom crypto, describe how we could have stolen $millions worth of tokens (but didn't), and present examples of bugs that we found in popular Bitcoin software utilities. In the second part of the talk, we'll review the different types of wallets and their pros and cons, and we'll discuss the risks and benefits of hardware-based wallets for individuals, organizations, and trading platforms. The speaker has an extensive experience auditing blockchain systems for leading cryptocurrencies, and now helps secure a cryptocurrency exchange platform.