Formal verification
Mathematical proof that a smart contract satisfies stated invariants under all reachable program states.
Stronger than testing, which only covers paths the tests exercise. Formal verification (via tools like Certora Prover, K Framework, or Halmos) catches edge-case logic errors traditional audits often miss. Adopted by Aave, Compound, MakerDAO, Lido for critical contracts.
Related terms
- CertoraA formal-verification firm that produces machine-checked proofs of smart-contract invariants.
- Audit reportA security firm's written review of smart-contract code, classifying findings by severity and tracking issuer responses.
- Invariant testingProperty-based testing where a fuzzer hammers contract entry points and asserts user-defined invariants hold throughout.