Learn-skills.dev cmichel-smart-contract-auditor-guide
Points to Christoph Michel’s (cmichel.io) long-form guide on becoming a smart contract security auditor—EVM-centric learning path, CTFs, canonical DeFi contracts, finance basics, and an FAQ (tools, scoping, compensation). Use when the user asks how to start in Solidity/EVM auditing or cites this article—not as current salary data, job placement advice, or a substitute for hands-on practice and primary documentation.
git clone https://github.com/NeverSight/learn-skills.dev
T=$(mktemp -d) && git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/NeverSight/learn-skills.dev "$T" && mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && cp -r "$T/data/skills-md/agentic-reserve/blockint-skills/cmichel-smart-contract-auditor-guide" ~/.claude/skills/neversight-learn-skills-dev-cmichel-smart-contract-auditor-guide && rm -rf "$T"
data/skills-md/agentic-reserve/blockint-skills/cmichel-smart-contract-auditor-guide/SKILL.mdcmichel.io — How to become a smart contract auditor (reference)
Educational routing only. This skill does not reproduce the full article. Read the live page for complete detail, links, and any author updates.
Canonical URL
- How to become a smart contract auditor — Christoph Michel, 30 October 2021 (per page metadata).
What the guide covers (outline)
The post is Ethereum / EVM–oriented (most paid audit demand at time of writing, per author). Rough structure:
| Section | Topics (high level) |
|---|---|
| Prerequisites | Programming first; suggests JavaScript as a gateway if new; argues reading code is foundational for review work. |
| Solidity & security | Learn by doing; recommends CTF-style challenges (e.g. Damn Vulnerable DeFi, Ethernaut, Capture The Ether) and notes overlap / legacy Solidity caveats; mentions harder contests (e.g. Paradigm CTF) and permissionless venues (Immunefi, Code4rena). |
| Common contracts | ERC-20 / ERC-721 nuances, proxies / |
| Finance vocabulary | Points to a Khan Academy derivatives chapter for options/futures/perp-style language used in DeFi. |
| FAQ | Staying current (e.g. Twitter, BlockThreat newsletter), rough hourly bands (treat as historical), LOC/hour scoping heuristics, when to stop reviewing, tooling (Solidity Visual Developer), traits (e.g. conscientiousness), Solana as a harder pivot (Rust + account model). |
How to combine with blockint
| Need | Skill |
|---|---|
| EVM DeFi triage patterns | evm-solidity-defi-triage-agent |
| Broader DeFi audit / rug posture | defi-security-audit-agent |
| Exploit post-mortems | flash-loan-exploit-investigator-agent, honeypot-detection-techniques |
| Solana program security (different stack) | solana-defi-vulnerability-analyst-agent, sealevel-attacks-solana |
Guardrails
- Stale data — compensation ranges and tool landscape are 2021-era; verify current market and tooling.
- Not career or legal advice — hiring, visas, and contracts need professional counsel where relevant.
- Jurisdiction — bug bounties and contests have rules; follow each program’s terms.
- Ethics — use skills for defensive security and responsible disclosure, not theft or harassment.
Goal: a discoverable pointer to cmichel.io/how-to-become-a-smart-contract-auditor for EVM auditor education context inside blockint.