Kusama (KSM) Market Data
Current Price: $12.75
24-Hour Trading Volume: $5,360,656
Price Change (24h): -5.67%
Circulating Supply: 16.72M KSM
Max Supply: 10M
Total Supply: 16.72M KSM
Circulation Rate: 100%
Market Capitalization: $213,204,659
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What Is Kusama (KSM)?
Dubbed "Polkadot’s wild cousin", Kusama is an experimental blockchain platform designed for developers to test scalable, interoperable applications. Built on Substrate (a blockchain toolkit by Parity Technologies), Kusama shares nearly identical code with Polkadot but operates as a canary network—a live environment for stress-testing Polkadot upgrades.
Key Functions of KSM Tokens
- Governance: Holders vote on network proposals.
- Staking: Validators stake KSM to secure the Relay Chain.
- Parachain Bonding: Projects lock KSM to lease parachain slots.
- Transaction Fees: KSM powers cross-chain messaging.
Kusama vs. Polkadot: Key Differences
| Feature | Kusama | Polkadot |
|-----------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|
| Governance Speed | Faster (7-day voting) | Slower (28-day voting) |
| Risk Tolerance | High (experimental) | Low (stable) |
| Use Case | Early-stage testing | Production-ready apps |
Core Components
- Relay Chain: Kusama’s main blockchain.
- Parachains: Custom blockchains connected to the Relay Chain.
- Bridges: Enable interoperability with external networks (e.g., Ethereum).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Why is Kusama called a "canary network"?
Kusama acts as an early warning system for Polkadot, allowing teams to test upgrades under real-world conditions before deploying them on Polkadot.
2. How do I stake KSM tokens?
Stake via Kusama’s nomination dashboard—delegate tokens to validators to earn rewards.
3. What’s the difference between KSM and DOT?
While both power governance and staking, KSM is riskier and faster—ideal for innovators, whereas DOT prioritizes stability.
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Social Channels
- Twitter: Kusama Network
- Reddit: r/Kusama
- Medium: Kusama Articles
Note: All external links except OKX are informational only.
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