Transaction Overview
On August 21, 2025, Kerberus Cyber Security announced the acquisition of Pocket Universe, a popular anti-scam browser extension used by DeFi participants. Terms were undisclosed, though multiple reports characterize the consideration as a seven-figure transaction. Kerberus will fold Pocket Universe into its Sentinel3 product and pursue a broader “crypto antivirus” offering spanning EVM chains and Solana.
Target: Pocket Universe
Pocket Universe was founded in 2022 and incorporated in Australia, with a US presence in San Francisco. The company raised approximately $350K from Zee Prime Capital, Alliance DAO, and AirTree Ventures.
The company provides a free browser extension that acts as a security filter for web3 and crypto users. It works by simulating every transaction before users sign, revealing what will actually happen—catching scams, wallet drainers, and suspicious activity in real time. If the extension detects risks, it issues a warning before users commit.
One of its most important features is coverage: users are protected for up to $20,000 per transaction, giving added peace of mind if a scam manages to slip past its defenses. Pocket Universe integrates directly to popular wallets like MetaMask, and never requires a seed phrase or access to funds.
Its pre-sign transaction warnings and phishing/drainer protection at the browser level runs on over 200,000 protected wallets and the company lists $1B+ in assets safeguarded from Web3 scams. Its user base skews DeFi-heavy, making it a high-signal cohort for scaling proactive security.
Buyer: Kerberus
Kerberus Cyber Security (fka MintDefense) builds consumer Web3 security software around its Sentinel3 browser extension and a complementary enterprise API for wallets and exchanges. Founded in 2022 and incorporated in Delaware with an operational presence in Israel, the company rebranded in early 2024 and focuses on Deanti-phishing/drainer detection, “transaction translation,” and on-chain protections that are easy to embed. Sentinel3 also offers optional per-transaction coverage. Kerberus previously acquired Fire (~50k users) in 2024, and has built distribution through ecosystem relationships. To highlight their effectiveness, Kerebus has published a claim of “no losses since 1/2023”.
Kerberus does not disclose priced venture rounds, but third-party trackers list BasedVC among investors, and the company has emphasized profitability and user-funded growth
Transaction Parameters
Kerberus acquired Pocket Universe and Refract (the team behind Pocket Universe). Consideration was undisclosed (most reports suggest a seven-figure range). Integration includes rolling PU protections into Sentinel3 and extending coverage across EVM + Solana.
Previous comparable transactions include: Metamask | Wallet Guard (transaction value undisclosed), Phantom | Blowfish at ~$55M
Strategic Rationale
Kerberus acquires Pocket Universe to make default-on, proactive wallet security table stakes, combining PU’s proven pre-sign warnings and DeFi-native install base with Sentinel3’s broader malware and anti-drainer ambitions. The deal accelerates alert precision, while acknowledging B2C security’s importance: value accrues when protections are embedded in wallets, on/off-ramps and rails. Integration positions Kerberus to evolve into a “crypto antivirus” platform that meets bank-grade expectations as stablecoin and Web3 payments move mainstream.
Architect Partners’ Observations
Web2 users got used to security being built-in—antivirus came with the OS, browsers flagged suspicious sites, and logins pushed people toward 2FA or passkeys. Kerberus’s acquisition of Pocket Universe is that same moment for Web3. Instead of asking people to simulate every transaction and hope they notice red flags, wallets will now catch risky signatures and malicious behavior before they go on-chain. Security starts happening automatically, inside normal wallet and payment flows.
The deal size is small, but strategically important. Security in Web3 won’t stay a sidecar app or optional plug‑in. It’s becoming part of the core experience.
From a business angle, this makes sense. Consumer security tools on their own don’t scale or monetize well in crypto. But if protections are baked directly into wallets, bridges, on/offramps, and stablecoin rails, the incentives line up. Everyone wins—fraud drops, onboarding gets smoother, and bigger players like banks and insurers can actually trust the stack.
With wallet-drainer scams and social engineering getting sharper every month, these proactive, pre‑sign defenses aren’t just nice—they’re required. They don’t replace on‑chain analytics, but they do complete the picture. You can expect more M&A as point solutions consolidate, more pressure from institutional diligence, and a raised floor across the space:
In Web3, “secure by default” is about to be table stakes.