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User Experience (UX)
Security begins with the interfaces and tools used to interact with Ethereum. Because blockchain transactions are atomic and irreversible, ecosystem-level, user-facing security surfaces—including key management, transaction readability, permissions, interface integrity, privacy, and fragmented tooling—directly shape security outcomes and can lead to loss when they fail.
Smart Contract Security
Smart contracts are the onchain components of Ethereum applications: the code that holds funds, defines access controls, and enforces the application's business logic. Because smart contracts are typically transparent and accessible to anyone, they are a critical attack surface when considering security in the Ethereum ecosystem.
Infrastructure & Cloud Security
Ethereum’s security extends beyond the protocol to the infrastructure that scales, connects to, and delivers it—including Layer 2 chains, RPC and node infrastructure, and the underlying software and cloud supply chain. Weaknesses at these layers can bypass onchain security and directly affect users.
Consensus Protocol
Ethereum’s consensus protocol defines how the network updates the state of the Ethereum blockchain and comes to agreement. It prioritizes safety and correctness, ensuring that invalid or conflicting states cannot be finalized even under significant validator faults or adversarial behavior. This protocol forms the foundation of what makes Ethereum a trustworthy platform for money, finance, identity, governance, real-world assets, and more.
Monitoring, Incident Response, & Mitigation
In a permissionless system, effective monitoring and response are critical to limiting impact without centralized intervention. This requires assurances that when things go wrong in the ecosystem, they are detected, contained, and remediated swiftly and effectively, minimizing damage and restoring trust.
Social Layer & Governance
Ethereum's 'social layer' refers to the set of people, organizations, companies, governance processes, and cultural norms that influence how the Ethereum ecosystem behaves. This social layer is itself vulnerable to certain attacks or risks, which can then influence the security and reliability of Ethereum.