Michael Brown

Head of DeFi Risk Assessment

I specialize in analyzing DeFi protocols, identifying vulnerabilities and manipulation tactics. My mission is to help users navigate the high-risk landscape of decentralized finance.

Michael is the team's "mechanical engineer." He doesn't just say something is dangerous; he explains exactly how the mechanism can break, stress-testing protocols to find the cracks in the foundation.

Credentials & Recognition

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Focus: Identifying attack vectors, such as flash loans and liquidity traps.

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Key Contrast: "Shiny Interface vs. Weak Contract"—like a beautiful car with a faulty engine.

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Analogy: Views vulnerabilities as "ticking time bombs" or "cracks in the foundation".

ScamBusters.io • Last updated: September 2025

Meet Our Team of Experts

Marco Rizzo

Founder & Head of Investigations

Nico Marino

Head of Product

James Carter

Chief Anti-Scam Analyst

Emily Davis

Lead Crypto Investigator

Sarah Wilson

Blockchain Threat Intelligence Lead

David Martinez

Crypto Investment Risk Advisor

Jessica Taylor

NFT Market Integrity Analyst

Christopher Anderson

Crypto Legal & Compliance Expert

Daniel Clark

Active Trader & Risk Pattern Watcher

Amanda Harris

Crypto Education & Scam Awareness Lead

Olivia Lewis

Crypto Community Behavior Analyst

Latest Publications by Michael Brown

Token Delegation in Blockchain: Security & Governance

Learn how token delegation strengthens security, scales participation, and shapes governance in Proof-of-Stake networks with practical, engineer-focused insights.
Strategies for Verifying Crypto Project Legitimacy

A practical guide for investors to perform due diligence on crypto projects, covering team transparency, tokenomics, audits, development activity, and red flags.
Evaluating DeFi Insurance Claims Processing: A Guide

Explore how DeFi insurance claims move from submission to payout, including verification, dispute resolution, and smart-contract driven payouts empowering users.
Certik Audit Scores: What They Mean for DeFi Security

Decode Certik audit scores, what high and moderate ratings reveal about smart contract security, and how investors should interpret numbers in DeFi diligence.
Evaluating Yield Farming Automation Tools in DeFi Systems

Assess DeFi yield automation tools with an engineer's lens: no-code setups, risk controls, and reliability for sustainable returns.
Managing Smart Contract Upgradeability: Risks & Safeguards

A technical look at upgradeable smart contracts, outlining risks, attack vectors, and engineer-led safeguards to keep DeFi projects secure.
Proprietary Nodes Centralization Risk in Blockchain

This article analyzes how proprietary nodes in blockchain projects foster centralization, weaken censorship resistance, and introduce single points of failure. Practical risk insights.
Interpreting Certik Audit Reports for MixMarvel Investors

Explore how Certik audit reports assess MixMarvel's security, what investors should look for, common vulnerabilities, and the implications of incomplete coverage.
Assessing Token Economic Sustainability in DeFi: Framework

A practical framework to evaluate long-term tokenomics in DeFi, covering supply caps, inflation/deflation, token utility, vesting, and community incentives for sustainable ecosystems.
Token Ownership Renouncement: Benefits and Risks in Crypto

Explore why crypto projects renounce ownership, how it boosts decentralization and investor trust, and the risks of losing emergency control and updates.
Lab Ecosystem Cyberscope Audit: A Deep Dive into Security

Technical analysis of Lab Ecosystem's Cyberscope audit: score 86/100, a high-criticality finding, and what a decentralization score of 35 means for security.
Navigating DeFi Project Closures: Community Impact

A technical post-mortem on DeFi project closures, community fallout, and practical steps for users to navigate losses and build resilience.
Mitigating Risk from Anonymous Blockchain Teams in Crypto

Strategies to assess and mitigate risk when investing in blockchain projects with anonymous founders—focusing on reputation, transparency, and due diligence.
Evaluating Project Abandonment Signals in Crypto: A Guide

Spot early red flags of abandoned crypto projects—outages, stalled updates, delistings, and audit warnings. A rigorous engineer’s guide to due diligence.
Overpromising in Blockchain Projects: Red Flags & Lessons

Explore how hype-driven roadmaps mislead investors in crypto, spot common overpromising tactics, and learn practical steps to assess real potential and risk.