Crypto security company Kerberus has acquired Refract, the makers of the Pocket Universe anti-fraud browser extension for wallets, in a seven-figure deal, according to an announcement on Thursday.
"This strategic move significantly expands Kerberus’ reach, establishing it as the clear leader in Web3 security by combining two of the industry's most trusted consumer products," Kerberus stated.
Kerberus will now integrate Pocket Universe into its native Sentinel3 security extension to expand antivirus protections to all Ethereum Virtual Machine chains and Solana, the statement says. The company plans to keep Pocket’s user experience "untouched."
"Our proprietary technology has stood the test of time with zero user losses in almost three years due to its unique detection algorithm," Kerberus CTO Danor Cohen. "We are excited to roll out our protection to Pocket Universe’s 200,000 users, bringing crypto and Web3 closer to mass adoption."
The move marks Kerberus’ second acquisition in about a year, following its purchase of Fire in 2024.
According to Chainalysis, illicit addresses received over $40 billion worth of misappropriated crypto in 2024. The company estimates users are on track to lose over $4 billion in crypto this year, though it also suggests outright ransomware is on the decline.
While crypto thefts are typically associated with social engineering attacks, malware is a perennial concern for regular users and institutions.
