For Organizations
For Security Researchers

Cantina Fellowship for DeFi Protocols

Cantina Fellowship connects DeFi protocols with top-tier security researchers through a reputation-driven, tiered system. From Fellows to Apprentices, each participant brings verified experience and a track record of impactful discoveries—helping you mitigate risk across smart contracts, governance systems, and on-chain logic.

Whether you’re launching a novel mechanism or hardening an existing one, the Fellowship gives you access to proven researchers capable of navigating complex DeFi systems and uncovering vulnerabilities before they impact users.

Work with us
Learn more

Cantina Fellowship: Empowering Elite Security Researchers

Become an exclusive Security Researcher and receive unique benefits, including bonus payouts, private opportunities, and more. See why the industry's best security researchers are only on Cantina.

Work with us
Learn more

Why Top DeFi Teams Choose Cantina Fellows

DeFi protocols require more than basic audit coverage. Cantina Fellows combine deep technical fluency with a contextual understanding of protocol design, risk surface, and economic assumptions. By working with elite researchers from our Fellowship, you gain not only findings—but insight, credibility, and peace of mind.

‍

You can view researcher profiles directly on Cantina, verify their public discoveries, and build a team based on your architecture and priorities.

Fellows

Fellows are the elite of the elite.

Learn more
See Less
  • As with the other two levels, there are two avenues to eligibility
    Instant eligibility: Have the LSR (Lead Security Researcher) designation on Spearbit, or have earned over $100,000 USD in rewards on Cantina
    Apply: Demonstrate proficiency at least at the LSR level via a short application reviewed by the Cantina team.
  • Benefits for Fellows
    Guaranteed Payouts & opportunity to share in the upside of Cantina’s growth: Fellows earn a bonus of $2,500 - $10,000 per competition when they rank in the top 5% of users on a competition's leaderboard, plus the opportunity to share in the upside of Cantina’s growth.
  • Exclusive Access: Gain entry to top-tier competitions, reviews, and bounties.

Residents

Residents are those who have proven their skills and dedication.

Learn more
See Less

To qualify, you can:

  • Be instantly eligible: By having the ASR (Associate Security Researcher) or SR (Security Researcher) designation on Spearbit, or having earned $10,000 - $100,000 USD in rewards on Cantina.
  • Apply: Demonstrate proficiency at least at the ASR or SR level via a short application reviewed by the Cantina team.

Benefits for Residents:

  • Guaranteed Payouts: Residents earn a bonus of between $1,000 - $2,500 per competition when they rank in the top 25% of users in a competition’s leaderboard.
  • Exclusive Access: Enjoy the perks of private competitions, reviews, and bounties.

Apprentices

Apprentices are the rising stars in the security research world.

Learn more
See Less

To become an Apprentice, you can either:

  • Be instantly eligible: If you have earned $1,000 - $10,000 USD in rewards on Cantina.
  • Apply: Demonstrate proficiency via a short application reviewed by the Cantina team.

Benefits for Apprentices:

  • Bonus Payouts: Apprentices receive a guaranteed bonus payout of $250 per competition when they rank in the top 50% of users in a competition’s leaderboard.
  • Exclusive Access: Gain entry to private competitions, reviews, and bounties.

FAQ

What is the Cantina Fellowship Program for DeFi Protocols?

The Fellowship is a curated, reputation-based program that connects DeFi protocols with top-tier smart contract researchers. Fellows, Residents, and Apprentices are ranked by proven output—so your team engages with researchers who’ve delivered critical findings in high-impact DeFi environments.

‍

How is the Fellowship relevant to DeFi teams?

DeFi protocols face complex threats across economic logic, governance, and composability. Cantina Fellows bring deep experience across lending, AMMs, oracles, and yield systems—ensuring your security review goes beyond surface-level code checks.

Can we work directly with Fellows on our protocol?

Yes. Many protocols request specific Fellows or Residents to lead audits, review upgrades, or participate in Cantina Competitions. You can select based on technical fit, past reports, or research focus.

What sets Cantina Fellows apart from standard auditors?

Fellows are ranked in the top percentile of researchers globally. They’ve submitted critical vulnerabilities in open competitions, security reviews, and bug bounties—many focused specifically on DeFi primitives and edge-case logic.

Do Fellows participate in DeFi-specific formats like audits or bounties?

Yes. Fellows are active across security reviews, bug bounties, and Cantina Code-based workflows. Many specialize in composability risks and attack modeling unique to DeFi.

Can the same researcher support us long-term?

Absolutely. DeFi teams often build recurring relationships with specific Fellows or Residents, who review governance proposals, validate fixes, and advise on protocol iterations over time.

How do we engage a Fellow or Resident for our DeFi protocol?

Contact the Cantina team to scope your engagement. We’ll help identify the right researchers based on your stack—whether you’re launching a v1, refactoring a vault, or preparing a new economic mechanism.