What should I study next to become smart contract auditor

Honestly, if you’re aiming to break into smart contract auditing (and maybe snag some bug bounties), you’ve got to flip your mindset. Stop just building contracts—start breaking them! That’s where the real fun (and rewards) kick in.

What Helped Me Most on My Journey

1. Dive Into Common Vulnerabilities
I can’t stress this enough: get curious about how contracts actually get hacked. The SWC Registry, Damn Vulnerable DeFi, and Ethernaut were my go-to playgrounds. Spend time on reentrancy, overflows, frontrunning, access control issues, and flash loan exploits. Each one is a classic for a reason.

2. Go Deep on Solidity & EVM Internals
Writing Solidity is just the start. I found it super helpful to dig into how storage works, why delegatecall can be risky, and how fallback functions can go sideways. Also, understanding gas and how it affects execution can help you spot those sneaky edge-case bugs.

3. Read More Code Than You Write
This one surprised me. Auditors spend most of their time reading, not coding. I learned a ton by poking through contracts from Uniswap, Aave, and Compound. Try to spot logic bugs or missed checks, then compare your notes with their public audits. It’s a great way to level up.

4. Get Hands-On With Auditing Tools
Tools like Slither (static analysis), Mythril (symbolic execution), Foundry (for testing), and Echidna (fuzzing) are lifesavers. I recommend experimenting with each. If you’re up for it, try writing your own custom detectors or invariant tests. The more you automate, the more bugs you’ll catch.

5. Read Real Audit Reports
Trail of Bits, OpenZeppelin, and Certora publish excellent reports. I learned a lot by seeing how they rate issues (low, medium, high), explain risks, and suggest fixes. It also helped me write better, clearer reports myself.

6. Build Your Public Track Record
Don’t keep your findings to yourself! I started a simple GitHub repo and blog to share what I found—breakdowns of famous hacks, my own mini-audits, and lessons learned. This visibility really helps when you’re applying for bounties or audit gigs.

7. Join Bug Bounty Platforms
Sign up for Immunefi, Code4rena, and Sherlock. Even if you only find small bugs at first, it’s all valuable experience. I also like reading past contest submissions to see how others approach problems.

That’s what worked for me, and I’m still learning every day. If you’re just starting out, pick one area and go deep—don’t try to master everything at once. Anyone else have tips or favorite resources for new auditors? Let’s help each other out!