Sherlock (sherlock.xyz) Live Audit Contests
Last updated Jul 21, 2026 · 10:55 UTC
Showing 241–260 of 301
301 audit contests
| Protocol | Source | Prize | Window | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Peapods
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$72K |
Jan 20 - Feb 17, 2025
28 days
|
View |
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Rova
|
|
$16K |
Feb 14 - Feb 19, 2025
5 days
|
View |
|
Yieldoor
|
|
$19K |
Feb 24 - Mar 03, 2025
7 days
|
View |
|
Babylon Chain Launch (Phase-2)
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$300K |
Feb 04 - Mar 04, 2025
28 days
|
View |
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SEDA Protocol
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|
$51K |
Feb 17 - Mar 10, 2025
21 days
|
View |
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Symmio, Staking and Vesting
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|
$10K |
Mar 07 - Mar 10, 2025
3 days
|
View |
|
Usual Labs
|
|
$180K |
Feb 25 - Mar 11, 2025
14 days
|
View |
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Crestal Network
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|
$7K |
Mar 11 - Mar 14, 2025
3 days
|
View |
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PinLink: RWA-Tokenized DePIN Marketplace
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|
$7K |
Mar 11 - Mar 14, 2025
3 days
|
View |
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Stealth
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|
$111K |
Feb 25 - Mar 18, 2025
21 days
|
View |
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Pareto USP, a credit-backed synthetic dollar
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|
$13K |
Apr 24 - Apr 28, 2025
4 days
|
View |
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Aegis.im YUSD
|
|
$17K |
Apr 28 - May 03, 2025
5 days
|
View |
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Burve
|
|
$50K |
Apr 19 - May 07, 2025
18 days
|
View |
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ZKP2P V2
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$40K |
Apr 29 - May 09, 2025
10 days
|
View |
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ZetaChain Cross-Chain
|
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$113K |
Apr 14 - May 12, 2025
28 days
|
View |
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LayerEdge - Staking
|
|
$9K |
May 22 - May 25, 2025
3 days
|
View |
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Yearn yBOLD
|
|
$6K |
May 22 - May 25, 2025
3 days
|
View |
|
Native Smart Contract V2
|
|
$37K |
May 23 - May 29, 2025
6 days
|
View |
|
LEND
|
|
$15K |
May 27 - Jun 03, 2025
7 days
|
View |
|
Extrafi XLend
|
|
$46K |
May 21 - Jun 04, 2025
14 days
|
View |
Rova
Yieldoor
Babylon Chain Launch (Phase-2)
SEDA Protocol
Symmio, Staking and Vesting
Usual Labs
Crestal Network
PinLink: RWA-Tokenized DePIN Marketplace
Stealth
Pareto USP, a credit-backed synthetic dollar
Aegis.im YUSD
Burve
ZKP2P V2
ZetaChain Cross-Chain
LayerEdge - Staking
Yearn yBOLD
Native Smart Contract V2
LEND
Extrafi XLend
About Sherlock
Sherlock launched in 2022 with a unique twist: protocols that pass a Sherlock audit can buy on-chain coverage backed by Sherlock and its watson community. Contests typically run 7 to 30 days with $50,000-$300,000 prize pools. Watsons (Sherlock auditors) submit findings, the judging panel determines severity, and the prize is split across valid unique findings.
This page shows only contests aggregated from Sherlock. For audit contests on other platforms, see the full Web3 audit competition tracker.
Smart Contract Audit Competition & Bug Bounty Platforms Compared
Six major platforms host the Web3 audit competitions and smart contract bug bounty programs aggregated above. Click any platform to see only its active contests.
| Platform | Type | Typical Prize | Contest Length | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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Audit contests | $50K to $500K | 3 to 14 days | DeFi protocols pre-launch |
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Contests + bounties | $50K to $300K | 7 to 30 days | Insurance-backed audits |
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Audit contests + First Flights | $5K to $200K | 3 to 21 days | Newer auditors building a track record |
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Mega-comps + bounties | $200K to $2M+ | 14 to 30 days | Experienced researchers, high-value protocols |
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Ongoing bug bounties | Up to $15M per critical | Ongoing | Production protocol vulnerability hunting |
|
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Bounties + crowdsourced audits | $1K to $1M+ | Ongoing or time-boxed | Managed Web3 programs and exchange/protocol bounties |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Sherlock and Code4rena?
Sherlock contests have stricter judging and include an insurance-backed bounty period afterward. Code4rena focuses purely on time-boxed contests. Sherlock prize pools are typically smaller ($50K-$300K) than Code4rena ($50K-$500K), but Sherlock watsons earn from post-contest bounties too.
How do I find active Sherlock contests?
Every currently-active Sherlock audit competition appears in the listing above, pulled from the Sherlock API every 2 hours. You can also browse all contests directly on audits.sherlock.xyz.
What are the best smart contract bug bounty platforms?
The leading Web3 bug bounty platforms are Immunefi (largest, $15M max payouts on DeFi protocols), Cantina (Spearbit's bounty program plus audit competitions), HackenProof (managed Web3 bounties and crowdsourced audits), Sherlock (audit contests with insurance-backed bounties), and Code4rena (best known for time-boxed audit competitions). Codehawks rounds out the field with Cyfrin-run contests focused on emerging protocols and beginner-friendly First Flights.
Which audit competition platform pays the most?
Cantina runs the largest audit competitions ($2M+ prize pools for protocols like EigenLayer and Uniswap v4). Immunefi pays the highest per-bug bounty (up to $15M for critical findings). Code4rena and Sherlock typically run $100K-$500K audit contests. Codehawks First Flights are smaller but accessible to newer auditors.
How do smart contract audit competitions work?
Audit competitions invite security researchers to review a protocol's smart contract code for a fixed prize pool over 1-4 weeks. Rewards are split based on unique valid findings, weighted by severity (critical, high, medium). Code4rena, Sherlock, Codehawks, and Cantina are the main platforms.
How much can you earn in a smart contract audit competition?
Top auditors earn $10,000-$500,000+ per competition. Cantina and Code4rena regularly run $500K-$2M prize pool contests. Bug bounties can pay up to $15M per critical finding on platforms like Immunefi.
What is the difference between a bug bounty and an audit contest?
Audit contests run for a fixed time window with a fixed prize pool shared among all valid findings. Bug bounties are ongoing programs where each valid submission earns a direct per-vulnerability reward (often $50K-$15M depending on severity). Bug bounties require finding a real vulnerability in production code.
How do I get started with smart contract auditing?
Learn the most common vulnerability classes first: reentrancy, flash loan attacks, oracle manipulation, and access control. The SCH Smart Contract Hacking Course covers all the core attack patterns that audit competitions test, starting from zero experience.
How to Start Competing in Smart Contract Audits
A practical path from learning vulnerability classes to submitting your first contest finding.
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Learn the core vulnerability classes
Master reentrancy, access control, oracle manipulation, flash loan attacks, and arithmetic overflows. These five classes account for most contest findings.
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Practice on retired contests
Read every public report from past Code4rena and Sherlock contests. Try to spot findings yourself before reading the writeup. This is how every top auditor trained.
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Start with CodeHawks First Flights
First Flights are small audit contests designed for newer auditors. Prize pools are under $20K, scope is small, and competition is lighter. They build real submission history.
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Enter your first full competition
Pick an active audit contest from the tracker above filtered by Solidity and a $50K-$200K prize range. Spend 20 to 40 hours on the contest, even if you only find one valid medium-severity issue.
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Build a public track record
Publish your findings, share writeups on Twitter and Mirror, and start accumulating valid submissions across multiple platforms. A documented track record is what opens bug bounty access and full-time auditor roles.