Kusama

Kusama is a public Layer 1 blockchain that runs the same codebase as Polkadot, designed to serve as a canary network where new features and protocol upgrades are tested under real economic conditions before being deployed to Polkadot. It is aimed at developers and projects that want to experiment with parachain technology, governance mechanisms, and cross-chain functionality in a live environment where mistakes carry actual consequences. The network is community-owned with no central shutdown mechanism, and has been active since 2019.

Kusama falls within the Proof of Stake category, meaning validators are selected to produce and finalize blocks based on staked KSM tokens rather than computational work. KSM is used to participate in network governance, to stake as a validator or nominator, and to secure parachain slots through on-chain auctions, giving token holders a direct role in the operation and evolution of the network. Block times in the stored data are recorded as effectively zero minutes, which likely reflects a sub-minute block cadence rather than an absence of block production.

The data provided does not include a fee revenue figure, so no fee-based yield or protocol earnings metrics are available on this page. What is known is that KSM holders can earn staking rewards by participating in network security, and that parachain slot auctions represent an economic mechanism within the system, but neither the size nor the recipients of these flows are captured in the stored metrics. The circulating supply stands at approximately 18,746,835 KSM, and with no maximum supply defined, the protocol can issue additional tokens as staking rewards dictate.