Web3 Antivirus, a novel solution designed to protect crypto users from scams, is launching. See how you can enhance your security with this user-friendly browser extension, even if you are new to crypto.
Introducing Web3 Antivirus, a Browser Extension for Secure Crypto Experience
Launched amid the 2022 crypto recession, Web3 Antivirus (W3A) is a new-gen project focused on a better and safer experience for Web3 newbies and professionals alike.
According to statistics, $2.7 billion worth of crypto has been lost in 2022, mostly, due to smart contracts or protocol infrastructure hacks. The net loss increased by 63% compared to the previous year.
Namely, in February, 2022, the Wormhole bridge was drained for $300 mln in Ethers thanks to a bug in Wormhole's verification function and a fake system program to obfuscate the fact that the signature check had not been executed.
Also, the cross-chain bridge between BNB Chain and BNB Smart Chain lost over $100 million due to the bug in code that damaged the integrity of the system.
That’s why in Q4 2022, the release of simple and handy security solutions looks more relevant than ever before.
Created by a team of seasoned blockchain engineers and security experts, Web3 Antivirus (W3A) is an open-source Chrome extension that guards users against signing dangerous transactions as well as dealing with phishing sites or suspicious assets.
How the extension works
Web3 Antivirus activates when a user is about to sign a transaction. The extension briefly pauses the transaction and analyzes it for red flags, like malicious logic, suspicious functions, compromising permissions, and others. Once the checks are complete, Web3 Antivirus automatically generates a report based on its general-purpose risk matrix within a few seconds. It indicates the overall risk score and potential dangers.
What’s more, the tool also simulates the transaction to show what happens if the user confirms it. Then, having received all the information about possible risks, the user can decide whether or not to proceed with the transaction.
The extension also helps users avoid phishing websites: It checks domain names against its extensive database of blocklists and allowlists using AI similarity validation, identifies suspicious logic, and warns users if the website is dangerous.
Web3 Antivirus: Ethereum first, multi-chain support coming soon
The launch of Web3 Antivirus took place on December 1, 2022. In October-November 2022, the solution underwent and successfully passed stress testing in the public beta.
During testing, the extension prevented over 2,300 potential phishing attacks daily, averted 50+ malicious transactions per wallet, and blacklisted thousands of impersonating websites: fake airdrops, phishing domains, and others. The database of phishing sites now contains more than 1,230,000 links.
Web3 Antivirus is aimed at working with all mainstream smart contract platforms. In its first upcoming release, the extension supports Ethereum. Support for BNB Chain (formerly Binance Smart Chain; BNB) and Solana will be added in the coming months.
As for wallet integrations, W3A currently works with MetaMask, Coinbase Wallet, and BitKeep Wallet, and new wallets will be added soon.
The W3A team emphasizes that the extension never asks for access to their wallets, assets, seed phrases, passwords, or other sensitive information.
The solution is available as an open-source Google Chrome extension, its unlimited usage is totally free of charge. Meanwhile, a premium version will be released in the upcoming months. It will offer its users extensive smart contract verification, detailed reports, community validation, and an innovative IP-checking mechanism.
Arman Shirinyan
Alex Dovbnya
