Forta x Celo: Bringing "Security by Default" to Celo Layer 2

Originally posted on Celo

At cLabs, we recognize that mass adoption of blockchain technology begins with trust — and trust starts with security. That’s why we’re excited to announce the integration of Forta, an AI-powered onchain security platform, into the Celo ecosystem. With this integration, Celo moves beyond traditional monitoring toward real-time transaction prevention, setting a new standard for security in the blockchain space.

What is Forta?

Forta is a leading AI-driven security platform designed to detect and prevent malicious or non-compliant transactions before they reach the blockchain. At the heart of Forta’s platform is the Forta Firewall, an advanced system that simulates every transaction in real time. Using a custom neural network called FORTRESS, trained on real-world attack data, Forta assigns each transaction a risk score and blocks suspicious activity with 99% detection accuracy — all while maintaining near-zero false positives.

In short: Forta doesn’t just monitor threats. It stops them before they happen.

Why Forta Matters for Celo

By integrating Forta Firewall directly at the sequencer layer, Celo now offers "security by default". Every transaction is screened before reaching the network's sequencer. Suspicious transactions are delayed for review, allowing Celo ecosystem participants (including the cLabs’ security team and/or application developers) to take action without needing to halt or disrupt the chain.

This means users, developers, and projects on Celo benefit from proactive protection against:

• Smart contract exploits
  
  
• Compliance violations
  
  

In today’s fast-evolving Web3 landscape, moving from detection to prevention is a critical leap forward — and one that fortifies Celo's mission to create a more secure, accessible, and inclusive financial system.

How the Integration Works

The Forta Firewall integration is seamless and comprehensive:

• Sequencer Layer Protection: All transactions are screened before they reach the Celo sequencer.
  
  
• Network-Wide Coverage: Smart contracts and application-layer protocols — all protected out-of-the-box.
  
  
• Private Threat Intelligence: Private Threat Intelligence: Transactions are only analyzed by the system to detect suspicious activity. Information about blocked transactions remains confidential and is shared only with the cLabs team.
  
  

Importantly, no extra setup is required by developers or users to benefit from this protection. By building on Celo, projects automatically inherit Forta’s AI-powered security infrastructure.

Real-World Impact: DeFi with Enhanced Security

The integration of Forta transforms security across the entire Celo ecosystem:

• DeFi projects can prevent hacks without pausing operations.
  
  
• Developers gain real-time monitoring of their smart contracts with significantly faster response times to potential threats.
  
  

While this is a new deployment on Celo, Forta has already been securing millions in Total Value Locked (TVL) on other Layer 2 networks like Mode and Plume. Now, projects across Celo’s ecosystem can expect the same level of proactive, AI-driven defense.

What’s Next?

Today’s integration is just the beginning. In the future, developers on Celo will have access to even more powerful tools — including customizable alerts, security dashboards, and detection bots — giving them deeper visibility and control over their projects.

For the Celo ecosystem, security is not an add-on; it's a foundational principle. With Forta, we’re proud to provide a blockchain experience where safety, speed, and scalability can coexist — unlocking new opportunities for builders and users around the world.

Together, let's build a more secure, prosperous future on Celo.