[Crypto projects](https://revain.org/projects/) › Kaspa

# Kaspa (KAS): how it works, supply and reviews

## In short

- **Type**: Proof-of-work Layer 1 blockDAG
- **Initial distribution**: Fair launch: no premine, insider allocation or pre-sale; all coins are mined
- **Risks and caveats**: There is no foundation or company that issues KAS; development is community-run and the official site is operated by KasMedia.com.
- **Checked**: 31 October 2026

## Key facts

- **Ticker**: KAS
- **Official site**: [kaspa.org](https://kaspa.org/)

Key facts checked on 31 October 2026 against official sources.

## What is Kaspa

Kaspa is a proof-of-work cryptocurrency built as a blockDAG: parallel blocks are ordered rather than discarded, which lets it run at 10 blocks per second. It was fair-launched in November 2021 with no premine; KAS is its native coin.

## Network and consensus

| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Type | Proof-of-work Layer 1 blockDAG |
| Consensus | GHOSTDAG / PHANTOM ordering of parallel blocks; DAGKnight is the planned next consensus upgrade |
| Block time | 10 blocks per second since the Crescendo hardfork on 5 May 2025 (previously 1 per second) |
| Smart contracts | Toccata hardfork (30 June 2026) added L1 covenants and native ZK proof verification |
| Programming language | The reference node, Rusty Kaspa, is written in Rust and replaced the original Go node |
| Launched | Mainnet launched in November 2021 |

## Supply and issuance

| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Initial distribution | Fair launch: no premine, insider allocation or pre-sale; all coins are mined |
| Maximum supply | About 28.70 billion KAS (2,870,403,560,500,000,000 sompi), per the Kaspa API |
| Genesis proof | A genesis proof traces all coins back to an empty genesis UTXO set |

On 31 October 2026: 27,786,135,224 KAS in circulation (source: [Kaspa REST API (api.kaspa.org), values in sompi (1 KAS = 100,000,000 sompi)](https://api.kaspa.org/info/coinsupply)).

## What KAS is used for

- KAS is the native coin used to pay transaction fees and reward proof-of-work miners
- Kaspa is promoted for self-custody: KAS is bought on exchanges and moved to a wallet the holder controls

## Who develops and governs Kaspa

- **Developer**: Open-source community development of the Rusty Kaspa node, funded by a 100 million KAS community grant
- **Founders**: Grew out of blockDAG research (GHOST, SPECTRE, PHANTOM) at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and later Harvard
- **Open source**: Node source code is on GitHub (kaspanet/rusty-kaspa)
- **Website operator**: kaspa.org states it is operated by KasMedia.com
- **Governance**: Protocol changes are specified as Kaspa Improvement Proposals (KIPs) and activated by hardforks

## History

| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| November 2021 | Kaspa mainnet launches as a fair-launched proof-of-work network. |
| 5 May 2025 | Crescendo hardfork raises the block rate from 1 to 10 blocks per second. |
| 30 June 2026 | Toccata hardfork activates L1 covenants and native ZK verification. |

## Security and audits

- A published genesis proof lets anyone verify that the genesis UTXO set was empty, ruling out hidden premining.
- Kaspa states that DAGKnight, the next consensus upgrade, keeps transactions confirmed before a network split final.

## Security incidents

Further incidents are reported by third parties (press, incident databases) but are not confirmed in the company’s own channels, so they are not listed here.

## Risks and caveats

- There is no foundation or company that issues KAS; development is community-run and the official site is operated by KasMedia.com.
- Running a node at 10 blocks per second needs at least 8 CPU cores, 16 GB RAM and a 256 GB SSD.
- Wallet risks: losing a device or recovery phrase without a backup can mean losing funds.

## Official links

- Website: [kaspa.org](https://kaspa.org/)
- Source code: [github.com/kaspanet/rusty-kaspa](https://github.com/kaspanet/rusty-kaspa)
- Developer docs: [kaspa.org/build](https://kaspa.org/build)
- Research forum: [research.kas.pa](https://research.kas.pa/)
- Supply API: [api.kaspa.org/info/coinsupply](https://api.kaspa.org/info/coinsupply)

## Questions and answers

**What is Kaspa?**

Kaspa is a proof-of-work cryptocurrency built as a blockDAG that orders parallel blocks and runs at 10 blocks per second.

**What is the maximum supply of KAS?**

About 28.70 billion KAS; the Kaspa API showed about 27.79 billion KAS in circulation on 31 October 2026.

**Was Kaspa premined?**

No. Kaspa launched in November 2021 with no premine, insider allocation or pre-sale, and a public genesis proof.

**Who created Kaspa?**

Kaspa came out of blockDAG research at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Harvard and is developed as an open-source community project.

**Does Kaspa support smart contracts?**

Since the Toccata hardfork of 30 June 2026 Kaspa supports L1 covenants and native ZK proof verification.

## Sources

- [Kaspa — Home](https://kaspa.org/)
- [Kaspa — Lore](https://kaspa.org/lore)
- [Kaspa — HODL](https://kaspa.org/hodl)
- [Kaspa — Build](https://kaspa.org/build)
- [Rusty Kaspa — README](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kaspanet/rusty-kaspa/master/README.md)
- [Rusty Kaspa — Crescendo hardfork guide](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kaspanet/rusty-kaspa/master/docs/crescendo-guide.md)
- [Kaspa API — coin supply](https://api.kaspa.org/info/coinsupply)

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Page updated: 2026-10-31

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Source: https://revain.org/projects/kaspa/