Interview with Pashov

December 23, 2024

This is it—our final interview of 2024, and we’re ending with a bang! Today, we’ve got a real treat: the one and only Pashov joins us for an exclusive chat. You won’t want to miss this!

Pashov was one of the fastest rising solo auditors in the space. He shares us his story and journey. Currently he runs his own auditing company called Pashov Auditing Group, which offers the best in smart contract security, being trusted by Uniswap, Aave, LayerZero, Ethena, 1inch, Sushi, Karak to name a few. They have a set ambitious company goal to one day protect and secure $1 Trillion worth of crypto assets.

1. Tell us, how did you get started and what brought you first to crypto and specially Ethereum and auditing?

I was a software engineer writing Java, some Web2 code, backend mostly, and a bit of front end databases and stuff, basically end to end solutions for maybe 2 or 3 years after which I joined a company that was building a centralized exchange in crypto. I knew nothing about crypto back then, but I immediately dived head first into it and into the Fintech world and exchanges and everything software related to this. So it was very interesting and I remember a friend of mine quit the job that we were working at and he just joined a Web3 company as a blockchain developer.

So I just asked him, "What it is like". He told me that the money is very nice. He's using this cool technology called Solidity. So I immediately got interested and started going on this track myself.

Then I found out about Code4rena. I got a Twitter account. I saw people posting about it and I did the same and some success with it. Then started doing solo audits and now we are here.

2. Tell us one of the challenges with starting your own gig? What was that like building a business and transitioning from a solely auditing?

Hiring the best people. This has been a challenge, but I have done well with it. I have had really some great talent from the space and it was very different from working alone because now you're not doing the actual audits yourself. You need to be managing people. You need to be figuring out how to pay them, how much to pay them, when to pay them, to scope the effort so that they can do their job, in a timely manner and everything. So it was entirely different. You had to manage and count on other people, but it worked out for the best.

3. Are you surprised about where you have ended up in your journey thus far? If you could tell one thing to your younger self what would that be?

I'm not surprised. I'm doing a bit better than expected, but I'm not surprised. I was expecting that this space will be blowing up and there will be a lot of demand. So this is playing out as expected. And, one thing I would tell to my younger self would be to really double down on Web3 Technologies and auditing especially, because there are so many opportunities here, so much value to be brought. This is the best place to be right now.

4. What kind of culture have you built within your auditing company, and how do you ensure that your team is aligned with your company’s values and goals?

I can say that our biggest values are being very lean and efficient with our process and providing only the highest quality of service. We are a small team. The core team is very small and we have many auditors working as freelancers. Basically the biggest thing that I do and is aligned with my way of thinking about setting a culture is hiring the right people. So when people are publicly proven they are really good auditors and they can find a lot of bugs in complex code basis then you know they will do a good enough for job. People are very conscientious in this space, Web3 Security Sector. So you can put real trust into them.

We don't really do any calls. We don't do any meetings. So there isn't that much of that as a culture, but it's a culture of efficiency and of providing value, and using your time very well. Currently I’m based in Bulgaria, but really hire from all over the world with three full time auditors.

5. As someone who has built a business in a niche space, what advice would you give to other entrepreneurs looking to start a company in blockchain or Web3?

Be very well informed, read lots of things, speak to a lot of people. Make sure you know a lot of people that you can hire and partner with possibly for future plans. Be very well connected. It is true Bulgaria’s crypto scene is very good a small country but there are a lot of people who are interested in this space and actively working in it.

6. How has the Ethereum ecosystem evolved since you started, and what are the biggest changes you've seen in the auditing process? What do you believe is the next big challenge in Ethereum smart contract security that will require a new approach or solution?

It has evolved quite a lot. Lots of smart people have joined the space, but it's nothing too unexpected. I mean, very smart people working, lots of them together and building cool things. That's it. Every auditor has a way of doing an audit. We don't have a specific one implemented. We give freedom to our auditors because they are very creative and very smart. For the last question, it’s probably not about Smart Contract Security. It's probably about Web2 Securities. So, pen testing, and the other parts of the Web2 Security stuff. This will be the thing that will get a lot of attention in the years to come.

7. How do you handle burnout or stress in such a high-pressure, high-stakes industry?

Make sure to have a nice lifestyle outside of your work. Make sure to have a girlfriend or be dating. Make sure to have good friends. Make sure to live it in a nice place. Do work out at least three times a week. What can I say? Just live a nice life and you won't be burned out. But there will be a time and period where you will have to be fully focused on work and that's perfectly fine. Just do it.

8. As you’re becoming more business and management focused, are you keen on ever returning back to auditing things again yourself?

Every coach, every ex-fighter who has become a coach or an ex-football football player who has become a coach wants to be a football player or a fighter once again. I also want to be a security researcher to find the best bucks, but this probably will make me go back and I won't have as much impact as I want to have. So it wouldn't be the smartest move for me. So most likely, I won't be returning back again, even though I want it really badly.

9. Also what do you see as the next exciting or transformative use case for Ethereum and blockchain technology in the next decade?

Good question, if I knew the answer, I would have been rich already. What can I say? Just more use cases of DeFi. Lots of people onboarded here with some fun things like meme coins, with some nice opportunities to become rich, to make money, to use technology in the best ways possible. What can I say? This this is all I know. If I knew better, I would share it, but nobody knows the future.

That's the end of our interview with Pashov. To follow and keep in touch with him, follow the Pashov Audit Group on PashovAuditGrp on X, github, or his website www.pashov.net.

Want to share your thoughts on the latest buzz around Ethereum? Let's chat! Drop me a message on X @dittoproj or shoot me an email at support@dittoeth.com to join the conversation.