Kerberus Cyber Security has acquired Pocket Universe, a fraud-prevention browser extension, in a seven-figure deal as part of plans to launch the crypto industry’s first dedicated antivirus.
The acquisition was announced Thursday by Kerberus, which said it would integrate Pocket Universe into its Sentinel3 extension, expand support to all EVM-compatible chains and Solana, and develop malware protection tailored for crypto users.
“We are now able to work on the security that is needed for crypto, such as the first crypto antivirus to tackle today’s biggest issue: malware and many other things,” Kerberus co-founder and CEO Alex Katz told Cointelegraph.
Pocket Universe founders Justin Phu and Nishan Samarasinghe will step back from day-to-day operations but continue to support Kerberus. Ran Neuner, founder of Crypto Banter and CEO of Onchain Capital, will join as a strategic adviser and distribution partner.
Kerberus, founded in 2023 and formerly known as MintDefense, was built after its founders witnessed friends lose their savings to scams. The platform says it has kept its users safe with zero recorded losses but identified malware and viruses as the next frontier of attacks.
Chief technology officer and co-founder Danor Cohen said development of the antivirus product would take at least four months, with some intellectual property already created. Unlike traditional security tools, Katz stressed the solution would function like a true antivirus — software installed directly on a device — while maintaining user privacy.
Industry experts note that while no genuine crypto antivirus exists, the need is growing. “Traditional antivirus can quarantine malware; in crypto, once a bad transaction is signed or funds move onchain, they’re gone forever,” said 0xWui, co-founder of FailSafe.
Trezor analyst Lucien Bourdon cautioned that the term “crypto antivirus” itself can be misleading, as scams like wallet drainers, fake airdrops and phishing sites remain the dominant threats. He warned users to be wary of fraudulent apps capitalizing on the demand for protection.
Kerberus said its upcoming antivirus will never request access to funds or private keys. “We even made sure we can’t monitor our users’ surfing activity outside Web3 sites,” Cohen said. “We arrive from 18+ years in the security industry, so we know how important privacy is.”
