Web3 Leader Spotlight: Vitto Rivabella
This week, we had the opportunity to chat with Vitto Rivabella, an X influencer & Head of DevRel at Cyfrin, the industry-leading auditing firm and Web3 educator.
Having established over $10BN in blockchain integrations, 5M views in YouTube views and being ranked as no.1 auditor on Code4rena , Cyfrin was created to raise the bar in Web3 security and keep digital assets safe.
Vitto, as one of Web3's most prominent educators with 110K+ followers on X, joined Cyfrin so he could focus his influence on solving the industry's most fundamental challenge: Security.
What’s your Web3 story? How and why did you want to work in this industry?
It all started in 2019 when my best friend kept urging me to check out crypto. At first, I was skeptical and thought it was just another bubble waiting to burst. After all, my dad has always been a traditional banking guy, and that mindset had influenced me too. But curiosity got the best of me, and I decided to explore further.
I wrote my first smart contract, and that experience completely blew me away. The power and potential of decentralised technologies became crystal clear. Excited to share my newfound knowledge, I started creating content on Twitter. I took the Solidity documentation and translated it into a language that "normal people" could understand (or at least I tried!). It was a way for me to bridge the gap between complex concepts and everyday users.
To my surprise, my efforts caught the attention of Alchemy and tens of thousands of people, the leading blockchain nodes and Web3 API provider infrastructure company. They reached out to me, did a 2 months long interview process (not even kidding), at the same time I was also interviewing with Chainlink (big alpha) - anyway, it went through, and I joined their Developer Relations team. It was an incredible opportunity to contribute to making Web3 more accessible and user-friendly.
Now, after leading the DevRel team at Alchemy, as the head of DevRel at Cyfrin, my main focus is on enhancing the security of Web3, the biggest threat to mass adoption we have to date.
How big is the Web3 security problem and why should people care?
More than 77 billion dollars have been stolen from decentralised finance (DeFi) projects since 2008. Security is the foremost concern that needs to be addressed, as without robust security measures, best practices, there’s no Web3.
To unlock the true potential of Web3 and gain widespread adoption, it is imperative that we work to make our ecosystem secure, reliable, scalable and sustainable. By investing in cutting-edge security technologies, education, best practices, teaching protocols to conduct rigorous audits, and fostering a strong security culture within the industry, we can mitigate risks and rebuild trust among users. Only then can Web3 reach its full potential and revolutionise the way we interact with the digital world.
With the rapidly evolving blockchain landscape, how does auditing firms like Cyfrin stay on top of emerging security threats?
Cyfrin is an entire ecosystem, see it as the powerhouse of Web3, offering a range of products including education (web3education.dev), private audits (cyfrin.io), competitive audits (codehawks.com), and auditors tools (solodit.xyz). Our team includes some of the best security auditors from all over the world: our CEO is Patrick Collins, leading Web3 educator and security researcher; our CTO, Alex Roan, kickstarted the Chainlink CCIP; and our CFO, Don Dodge, has an impressive background as the OG DevRel at Google, Microsoft, Altavista, and Napster.
Our DevRel team comprises leading DevRels from the biggest companies in Web3 Alchemy, Aragon (Juliette Chevalier), Moralis (Vasiliy Gualoto). By leveraging their expertise and actively engaging with the community, teaching developers, building tools for them, covering every stage from pre-deployment, development and deployment of smart contract we try to proactively enhance the security infrastructure of Web3 and mitigate risks, ensuring a safer environment for the users of tomorrow.
What advice do you have for aspiring auditors wanting to excel in the field of smart contract security?
To become an aspiring auditor in smart contract security, learn Solidity and gain a deep understanding of Web3 technologies. Building a network is crucial, connecting with professionals, joining online communities, and sharing knowledge on social media platforms. Continuous learning, practical experience, networking, and leveraging available resources are key to kickstarting your career in Web3 as an auditor, developer, or founder. Staying up-to-date with industry trends, attending conferences, and connecting with experts will expand your knowledge and open doors to exciting opportunities.
