# Risks ## Smart Contract Risks * Though our smart contracts will be crafted carefully, many times audited, and thoroughly tested, there always exist risks in interacting with smart contracts on the Ethereum network. ## Key Management Risks * With ether.fi's desktop and decentralized web applications, we've taken great care to utilize the latest, safest methods for key encryption and protection. However, ether.fi can make no guarantees or representation that our methods are or will remain 100% secure. Additionally, the care for one's keys remains in the staker's hands. Preventing user error, though a primary aim, is virtually impossible. ## Regulatory Risks * ether.fi firmly believes that the Ethereum network will become the settlement layer for global financial markets. Our convictions, however, are not guarantees about the future. Cryptocurrencies and Ethereum in particular have made the leap from niche to mainstream and this increase in prominence has been accompanied by an increase in governmental scrutiny. Any number of well-meaning and / or ill-informed public policies can temporarily or permanently derail the protocol, including but not limited to: * bans on cloud service providers providing services to crypto related enterprises * bans on ISPs providing crypto related services * onerous taxes levied on various network transactions * etc. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://etherfi.gitbook.io/etherfi/ether.fi-whitepaper/risks.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.