The Ethereum Foundation has officially announced a four-week audit competition aimed at strengthening the upcoming Fusaka hard fork. With a prize pool of $2 million, the initiative seeks to uncover vulnerabilities before the upgrade is rolled out on Ethereum’s mainnet in November 2025.
The contest, hosted on the Sherlock platform, started on September 15, 2025. Only reports deemed significant and rule-compliant will qualify for rewards, which will be compiled into a comprehensive audit report at the end of the competition.
Sponsors and Incentives
The program is co-sponsored by leading ecosystem players:
- Gnosis – contributed $100,000
- Lido – added $25,000
To further encourage participation, Ethereum Foundation introduced bonus multipliers:
- Submissions in the first week receive a 2x reward multiplier
- Submissions in the second week get a 1.5x multiplier
Security First
Alongside this initiative, the Foundation reminded developers and security researchers of its ongoing Bug Bounty Program, which offers up to $250,000 for critical vulnerabilities that could affect the entire Ethereum network.
About Fusaka
The Fusaka upgrade is a major Ethereum hard fork designed to:
- Prepare the network for future scalability improvements
- Optimize smart contract execution
- Enhance network security measures
The upgrade is scheduled to go live on Ethereum’s mainnet in November 2025, making this audit a key step in safeguarding the blockchain’s stability and reliability.