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Crypto network guide
The Kaspa Network, Explained
Quick answer
Kaspa is a Proof of Work network launched fair (no premine) in November 2021 that replaces the blockchain with a blockDAG: parallel blocks woven into one ordering by its GHOSTDAG protocol. Since 2025's Crescendo upgrade it produces ten blocks per second — Proof of Work at near-instant speeds.
Updated August 2026 · Reviewed by the Anytime Capital trading desk
Kaspa at a glance
- Launched
- 2021
- Consensus
- Proof of Work blockDAG (GHOSTDAG, kHeavyHash)
- Block time
- ~0.1 seconds (10 blocks/second since 2025)
- Typical transfer time
- Under 2 minutes
- Typical network fee
- Under a cent – cents
- Native asset
- Kaspa (KAS)
Network fee: Typically well under $0.01 per transaction in 2025–2026. Third-party network figures, not Anytime Capital pricing — our pricing is on the fees & limits page.
How long does a Kaspa transfer take?
Kaspa produces ten blocks per second since its May 2025 Crescendo upgrade — the fastest block cadence in Proof of Work — with transactions typically usable in seconds. Exchanges add their own confirmation policies, so a couple of minutes end-to-end is normal.
Compare every chain on one page: how long crypto transfers take on every major network.
What is a blockDAG?
Bitcoin discards competing blocks; Kaspa keeps them. Its GHOSTDAG protocol lets simultaneous blocks coexist in a directed acyclic graph and agrees on one ordering across them, so the network can produce blocks continuously instead of every ten minutes. The academic lineage is real — GHOSTDAG's authors include researchers whose earlier work Ethereum's design cited — and Kaspa is its production test.
The practical result: Bitcoin-style Proof of Work security properties with confirmation times measured in seconds. The May 2025 Crescendo hard fork raised throughput from one block per second to ten.
The fair-launch pedigree
Kaspa launched in November 2021 with no premine, no ICO, and no allocation to insiders — the same launch profile as Bitcoin, which is rare among modern chains and central to its community's identity. Emission follows a halving-style curve compressed dramatically: rewards decrease smoothly each month (halving yearly), with supply capped near 28.7 billion KAS.
What Kaspa doesn't do (yet)
Kaspa's base layer is a currency chain: no smart contracts, no token standard, no stablecoins as of 2026 — programmability is on the roadmap (based ZK rollups) rather than in production. If someone offers you 'USDT on Kaspa,' re-confirm the request; the network doesn't carry it. What Kaspa does today, it does exceptionally: move KAS fast and cheap under Proof of Work security.
Stablecoins on Kaspa
No mainstream stablecoins run on Kaspa. To move dollar-pegged value, use USDT or USDC on a supporting network — see stablecoins & their networks.
What does a Kaspa address look like?
| Format | Looks like | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard address | Starts with kaspa:q | The kaspa: prefix is part of the address — include it when a field accepts it |
Buy KAS — the #1 place to buy crypto with a debit card, wire, Apple Pay & more
Anytime Capital is a US-based money services business with thousands of customers. Debit and credit cards from every major US bank work here, verification takes minutes, and delivery goes straight to the Kaspa address you choose.
- Wire transfer
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Digital assets are not FDIC-insured, are not bank deposits, and may lose value. Availability and limits subject to identity verification and compliance review.
Kaspa network questions
About KAS
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