New York City, New York – March 12, 2025 – Nano Labs, SlowMist, and Aquarius are proud to announce the launch of the Fortress Foundation and its inaugural initiative, the Fortress Initiative—a Liquidity Management Security Design Framework and Process Audit Standards designed to set new benchmarks for security and transparency in the cryptocurrency Liquidity Management sector. This initiative delivers detailed guidelines for securing Liquidity Management protocols and establishes practices for auditing Liquidity Management processes, reinforced by real-world case studies to ensure practical applicability.

At the heart of the Fortress Initiative is a vision to establish a global standard for Liquidity Management security and process audits, instilling trust across the cryptocurrency ecosystem. Its mission is to deliver cutting-edge security frameworks and rigorous audit standards that empower organizations to protect digital assets while optimizing Liquidity Management operations.

The Fortress team stated that, in the initial phase, they plan to invite asset management protocols and ecosystem partners requiring BTC staking to collaborate on this initiative.

The initiative follows a comprehensive one-year roadmap designed to transition seamlessly from concept to full industry integration. In the initial phase, foundational development focused on defining the concept, establishing branding, assembling core contributors and partner institutions, and drafting the framework through collaborative efforts with key stakeholders. This phase involved developing risk assessment protocols, audit methodologies, and penetration testing schemes validated by a pilot case study. The subsequent launch phase featured official presentations at industry events, interactive panel discussions, live demonstrations, and community workshops aimed at gathering feedback and driving engagement. The final stage will refine and expand the framework based on early audit results, incorporate regulatory compliance measures, and establish a network of trained auditors—culminating in a security summit to showcase progress and outline future strategies.

The Fortress Initiative is bolstered by contributions from industry-leading organizations. Nano Labs (Nasdaq: NA) is a Nasdaq-listed company and one of Asia’s premier chip design firms. It stands at the forefront of technological innovation and is widely recognized as a major and steadfast Bitcoin holder. SlowMist, a globally recognized blockchain security firm with over a decade of expertise, brings unparalleled experience in network security. Aquarius, a research-driven asset management firm overseeing over $600 million in assets, contributes its extensive knowledge in liquidity management and Liquidity Management strategies. In addition, the lending protocol Takara Lend, supported by Sei Blockchain, has joined as the first donation members, demonstrating their commitment to co-creating the standards and processes that will shape the future of Liquidity Management security.

The technical framework of the Fortress Initiative is equally robust. Its security standards cover the entire Liquidity Management lifecycle—from pre-Liquidity Management assessments and ongoing monitoring to post-Liquidity Management incident response systems—integrating comprehensive testing, monitoring, coordination, and tracking systems, akin to ISO 9001 standards. The framework includes a detailed smart contract code audit that addresses permission vulnerabilities, security design, design logic, variable coverage, scoping and declarations, arithmetic accuracy, uninitialized storage pointers, and denial of service issues. It also encompasses rigorous security awareness testing through red teaming and phishing simulations, comprehensive multi-chain asset security monitoring, and thorough evaluations of internal management processes, including recruitment, code deployment, incident response, and multisig wallet management.

The Fortress Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing blockchain security, leads the initiative with a commitment to establishing the standards of security and transparency in the Liquidity Management ecosystem.