WalletConnect, the connectivity layer for the financial internet, today announced the expansion of its WalletConnect Certified program to include App Certified and Institutional Certified, introducing a unified framework for trust, security, and interoperability across wallets, apps, and institutions participating in the onchain economy.
Launched in 2024, WalletConnect Certified recognises wallets that meet the highest standards in UX, security, compliance, and reliability. The certification has become a mark of excellence and trust, helping developers and users identify top-performing wallets.
To date, more than 28 wallets, including Binance Wallet, Ledger, MetaMask, SafePal, and Trust Wallet, have earned certification demonstrating the value of clear, transparent standards in improving onchain experience and safety.
“WalletConnect Certified started as a way to highlight wallets that deliver world-class UX and security,” said Jess Houlgrave, CEO of WalletConnect. “Expanding the program to apps and institutions takes that mission further and is essential as we bring more enterprises and users onchain.
Everyone, from newcomers to Fortune 500 companies, must feel safe, secure, and confident when interacting with the onchain economy. This program is crucial to the success of crypto and pushes us closer to mainstream adoption. Every app, wallet, and institution serious about making crypto work should be part of it – building a safer, more transparent ecosystem where everyone can connect and transact with confidence.”
App Certified: A Standard for Trusting the Apps Users Connect To
The growth of crypto has been accompanied by a surge in scams, fake apps, and contract exploits. Crypto-related hacks and scams rose 27% year-on-year in 2025, driven by phishing, counterfeit applications, and wallet-draining schemes.
There’s record demand for trusted security tools as users seek protection against increasingly sophisticated attacks. High-profile incidents like the $120 million Balancer exploit in November 2025 underline the industry’s urgent need for stronger verification standards.
App Certified directly addresses this challenge. The program verifies app authenticity, prevents scams, and establishes an industry benchmark for application-level security and UX.
Certified apps meet criteria such as:
- Verified contracts and domain integrity
- Batch-transaction safety checks
- Verification via the WalletConnect Verify API
When users see the App Certified badge, they’ll know the app follows recognised industry standards for safety, transparency, and design excellence.
These verified apps will appear in AppGuide, a curated public directory for exploring trustworthy, verified onchain applications.
Launch partners for App Certified include Aave, Across, Aerodrome, Beefy, CoW Swap, Curve Finance, DeFi Saver, DeFiLlama, Ethena, Etherscan, Euler, Figment App, Folks Finance, Jumper Exchange, Katana App, Kiln, LI.FI, Lido, ListaDAO, Marinade, Morpho, Oku Trade, Orka, PancakeSwap, Pendle, QuickSwap, Rocket Pool, Spark, Stargate, Superbridge, SushiSwap, USDT0, Velodrome, vfat.io, 1inch – with more joining soon.
Institutional Certified: Scaling Institutional Adoption with Confidence and Trust
Institutional participation in DeFi has evolved rapidly from passive custody to active capital management across staking, liquidity provision, and lending. But as enterprise players and financial institutions move onchain, they demand security, compliance, and client trust at every level.
Institutional Certified sets the benchmark for institutional-grade wallet integrations, ensuring every connection meets rigorous standards for transparency, auditability, and operational resilience.
Criteria include:
- Latest WalletConnect SDK adoption and clear connection flows
- One-click authentication and transparent approvals
- Warnings, risk signals, and reliability metrics
The program debuts with leading custodians and infrastructure partners including August, Dfns, Fireblocks, GK8, Hex Trust, Ledger Enterprise, Utila, and Zodia.
As traditional enterprises, fintechs, and asset managers continue to explore DeFi, Institutional Certified provides the assurance required to integrate confidently and transparency – protecting clients while accelerating the next wave of institutional adoption.
Wallet Certified: Continuing the UX Standard for Wallets
Across the first two certification seasons, partners have included Binance, Ledger, Safe, Uniswap Wallet, MetaMask, OKX, Crypto.com, Fireblocks, BitPay, and Blockchain.com, among others.
Wallet Certified is launching its third round at a crucial time, as 2025 has seen true mainstream adoption but also an increase in scams and hacks.
Criteria for this round include:
- Support for wallet_pay (CAIP-358)
- 1-Click Auth beyond EVM
- Solana and Bitcoin support
- wallet_sendCalls (EIP-5792)
- Extended domain verification for contract addresses
Together, these certifications elevate onchain security and usability, transforming verification from a defensive measure into a proactive standard — the foundation for the next era of digital finance.
About WalletConnect:
WalletConnect, founded in 2018, is the connectivity layer for the financial internet, enabling seamless, encrypted connections between wallets and applications across ecosystems like Ethereum, Solana, Bitcoin, and more. WalletConnect is used by traditional enterprises, custodians, institutions, and onchain applications and wallets.
To learn more, users can visit: https://walletconnect.com.
