Smart contract auditing is a valuable, highly demanded skill. Given the blockchain industry’s rapid growth, becoming an auditor is a smart choice that opens up substantial economic opportunities. This article will show the roadmap to becoming an effective smart contract auditor.
Steps to become a smart contract auditor
1. Learn computer programming
The first step of becoming an auditor is learning computer programming fundamentals. You must understand how computers work and how programming languages communicate with computers to execute tasks.
Blockchain apps are built with programming languages like Python, Java, and Ruby, so learning these languages is essential. After all, smart contract auditors must examine code to detect security and operational flaws. You wouldn’t be able to evaluate a codebase if you don’t understand the basics of these languages.
2. Understand Web3 principles
After getting comfortable with programming, the next step is learning about Web3. To the uninitiated, Web3 is the latest iteration of the World Wide Web (WWW), mainly focused on decentralization. The current version of the World Wide Web is primarily centralized, but blockchain technology is aimed at decentralizing it. Gone are the days of relying on a third party to execute transactions– people can now transact directly with each other without intermediaries to control the process.
Learn about how decentralization works and the consensus protocols that enable it. Also, learn about the different types of decentralized apps and how they differ from centralized apps.
3. Understand the Ethereum blockchain
Many blockchains exist, but Ethereum is the most popular for building decentralized apps. The Ethereum blockchain hosts over 4,000 decentralized apps and 50 million+ smart contracts, the highest among any blockchain.
Learn about the inner workings of the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) and how the Solidity programming language interacts with the Virtual Machine.
Valuable Ethereum learning resources include
- The original Ethereum whitepaper. This whitepaper helps you understand the aims of the Ethereum creators and how decentralized apps help achieve this goal.
- Mastering Ethereum: Building Smart Contracts and DApps by Andreas Antonopoulos and Dr. Gavin Wood. Blockchain developers revere this book for breaking down the complex Ethereum ecosystem into simple bits a layperson can understand.
- Dapp University online courses.
4. Learn Solidity and Vyper
Solidity and Vyper are specialized programming languages for writing smart contracts that interact with the Ethereum blockchain. You need to learn these languages because you’ll audit smart contracts built with them.
Solidity is a high-level programming language that’s similar to Java. It’s challenging for beginners, but not impossible to understand. With enough time and practice, you should learn how it works and know how to review Solidity code to identify security flaws. Starting with solid programming knowledge makes it easier to learn Solidity– that’s why the first step in this article is to know the basics of computer programming.
Vyper is another high-level programming language, but more similar to Python than Java in its syntax. Vyper is a minimalistic, easier-to-audit language. It is simpler to learn than Solidity.
5. Familiarize yourself with token standards
Auditors encounter different token standards, so it’s vital to familiarize yourself with popular token standards like ERC20, ERC721, ERC777, etc. What differentiates each one from the others? For instance, ERC20 is a fungible token standard, meaning that each token is interchangeable, while ERC 721 is a non-fungible standard, meaning that each token is unique. The latter is the widely-used standard for NFT artworks.
6. Learn how to use unit testing tools
Auditors must test smart contracts for vulnerabilities using both automated and manual tools. Learn about the tools you’ll use during audits, e.g., Foundry and Hardhat.
7. Study audit reports
After reviewing a contract, auditors write a formal report certifying that it has been reviewed, vulnerabilities have been identified and fixed, and the contract is safe to interact with. Audit reports must be detailed, diving into the issues identified with the contract and the steps taken to fix them. Study existing audit reports to have a clue of what should be included in the report you give to clients.
8. Continuous learning
An auditor never stops learning. The blockchain industry is known for rapid changes, so you must constantly study to keep up with these changes. Always be on the lookout for new vulnerabilities and ensure you examine your clients’ codebases for these vulnerabilities. Continuous learning and improvement makes you a skilled auditor.
