KAIA Description
Overview
Kaia (KAIA) is the native gas and staking token of Kaia, an EVM-compatible Layer-1 blockchain formed in January 2024 from the merger of Klaytn and Finschia. Klaytn was backed by Kakao/GroundX and Finschia by LINE, with the unified Kaia mainnet launching August 29, 2024. KAIA is not an ERC-20 token on another chain; it functions on Kaia the way ETH functions on Ethereum, paying transaction fees and underpinning network staking and governance.
As of September 2026, KAIA traded near $0.0298 with a market capitalization of roughly $191 million, ranking around #128 by market capitalization.
Value Proposition
Kaia's differentiation is distribution reach rather than raw throughput, positioning itself as Asia's Web3 infrastructure integrated directly with the KakaoTalk and LINE messaging apps. Their combined user base is cited at over 250 million, with LINE alone reporting approximately 196 million monthly users.
Tether has natively launched USDT on Kaia, with LINE NEXT distributing it inside the LINE app for payments and DeFi. Kaia is also building South Korean won stablecoin rails: KB Kookmin Bank and BNK Busan Bank have each completed proof-of-concept integrations for won-denominated stablecoins on Kaia.
Token Basics
KAIA functions as both a utility and a governance token.
- Utility: pays gas fees for transactions and smart contracts on the Kaia chain.
- Staking: holders stake or delegate KAIA to Governance Council validators to help secure the network and earn rewards.
- Governance: staked KAIA grants voting weight, capped per participant, on proposals including emission parameters, and voting rights can be delegated.
Tokenomics
- Circulating supply: approximately 6.41 billion KAIA (as of September 2026).
- Total supply: approximately 6.4 billion KAIA, effectively all already circulating.
- Max supply: uncapped; KAIA has no fixed supply ceiling.
- Emission: inflationary, with new KAIA issued via block rewards at approximately 5.2% annually.
- Issuance split: 50% to validators and stakers, 25% to the Kaia Ecosystem Fund, 25% to the Kaia Infrastructure Fund.
Launch & Funding
KAIA launched without a traditional public token sale, created instead through a mainnet merger and token conversion on August 29, 2024. Klaytn's KLAY token converted 1:1 into KAIA, and Finschia's FNSA token converted at approximately 148 FNSA per KAIA.
Predecessor chain Klaytn was launched in 2019 by Kakao affiliate Ground X as an enterprise blockchain initiative rather than a public sale; Finschia was released by LINE in December 2022. In a 2025 funding round, Kaia secured backing led by Blockchain Capital and 1kx.
Blockchain & Consensus
KAIA runs on Kaia, its own EVM-compatible Layer-1 blockchain rather than as a token issued on a third-party chain. The chain resulted from the January 2024 merger of Klaytn and Finschia, with a unified mainnet launched August 29, 2024.
Team
Kaia is chaired by Sam (Sangmin) Seo, who holds a Ph.D. in high-performance computing and previously served as Chief Knowledge Officer at Krust Universe. There, he led development and operations of Klaytn.
Issuing Organization
Kaia is maintained by the Kaia DLT Foundation, formed from the merger of the Klaytn Foundation (a Kakao/Ground X affiliate) and the Finschia DLT Foundation (backed by LINE). The foundation's board reportedly comprises six members, three of whom came from Kakao's Klaytn side.
The foundation positions Kaia as Asia's Web3 infrastructure, integrated with the KakaoTalk and LINE messaging apps. Kakao and its affiliates reportedly hold approximately 9.8% of Kaia's total token supply and remain actively involved in its governance.
Governance
Kaia uses on-chain governance built around three components.
- Kaia Community: all KAIA holders, who can voice opinions on network operations.
- Kaia Council: institutions that vote using staked or delegated KAIA, launched with 31 early member institutions.
- Kaia Foundation: supplies evidence and expertise to inform decisions.
Voting weight is proportional to staked KAIA but capped per participant to limit dominance, delegation is permitted, and proposals, including changes to emission parameters, are recorded on-chain.
Roadmap
- Tether's USDT has been natively launched on Kaia, with LINE NEXT distributing it to LINE's approximately 196 million monthly users for payments and DeFi.
- May 17, 2026: KB Kookmin Bank, South Korea's largest bank, completed a proof-of-concept for KRW stablecoin integration on Kaia for offline payments and remittances.
- BNK Busan Bank completed a separate proof-of-concept for a Kaia-based Korean won digital local currency stablecoin.
- Around September 30, 2026, the legacy FNSA-to-KAIA token swap service and the old Finschia chain are slated for final shutdown.
Security
CertiK has audited Kaia across multiple codebase versions, most recently on March 18, 2025, awarding a Skynet score of approximately 93.2-93.56 (AAA rating). The audit cited 99% remediation of identified issues, and Kaia adopted CertiK's AI-based pre-audit scanning across its ecosystem, announced at Korea Blockchain Week 2025.
On March 15, 2025, the official Kaia developer team's X account was compromised and used for phishing links; no evidence indicates the Kaia protocol, contracts, or validators were affected.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Kaia (KAIA)?
Kaia (KAIA) is the native token of Kaia, an EVM-compatible Layer-1 blockchain formed in January 2024 from the merger of Klaytn (Kakao/GroundX) and Finschia (LINE), with mainnet launched August 29, 2024. KAIA pays transaction fees and secures the network through staking, functioning on Kaia the way ETH functions on Ethereum.
Is KAIA a governance token or a utility token?
KAIA is both. Holders use it to pay gas fees for transactions and smart contracts, stake or delegate it to validators through the Kaia Governance Council to secure the network, and use staked KAIA to vote on governance proposals, including emission parameters.
How was KAIA created or launched?
KAIA launched without a traditional ICO. On August 29, 2024, Klaytn's KLAY token converted 1:1 into KAIA and Finschia's FNSA token converted at approximately 148 FNSA per KAIA, unifying both predecessor networks into the single Kaia mainnet as part of the Klaytn-Finschia merger.
What is KAIA's maximum supply, and is it inflationary?
KAIA has no maximum supply; circulating and total supply are both approximately 6.4 billion tokens as of September 2026. Emission is inflationary, with new KAIA issued via block rewards at approximately 5.2% annually, split 50% to validators and stakers, 25% to an ecosystem fund, and 25% to an infrastructure fund.
Who governs Kaia?
Kaia uses on-chain governance split among the Kaia Community (all KAIA holders), the Kaia Council (institutions voting with staked or delegated KAIA, launched with 31 members), and the Kaia Foundation, which provides expertise. Voting weight is proportional to stake but capped per participant, and delegation is allowed.
What differentiates Kaia from other Layer-1 blockchains?
Kaia differentiates itself through direct integration with the KakaoTalk and LINE messaging apps, whose combined user base is cited at over 250 million. Tether has natively launched USDT on Kaia via LINE NEXT, and Kaia is building South Korean won stablecoin rails with banks including KB Kookmin Bank and BNK Busan Bank.
Has Kaia been audited, and is it secure?
CertiK has audited Kaia across multiple versions, most recently on March 18, 2025, awarding a Skynet score of approximately 93.2-93.56 (AAA) and citing 99% issue remediation. A March 2025 incident compromised Kaia's official X account for phishing, but no evidence indicates the protocol or validators were affected.
What is Kaia's connection to Tether and stablecoins?
Tether has natively launched USDT on Kaia, distributed via LINE NEXT to LINE's roughly 196 million monthly users for payments and DeFi. Kaia is also pursuing Korean won stablecoin integration, with KB Kookmin Bank and BNK Busan Bank each completing proof-of-concept projects on the chain in 2026.
