Kusama vs Polkadot (DOT): Differences & Advantages Of KSM

This page discusses Kusama blockchain, its purpose and creation, key features and architecture, and differences between Kusama vs polkadot. Who Uses Ecosystem Projects and Kusama?, KSM Native Token, Acquisition and Storage, and Advantages and disadvantages of Kusama.

Kusama blockchain

Before new blockchain features and applications are made available on the Polkadot network, developers can test and play with them in Kusama (KSM), a public pre-production environment for Polkadot. It is commonly known as Polkadot’s “wild cousin” or “canary network.” By spotting defects, vulnerabilities, or unanticipated problems in new code, features, and upgrades in a live environment, Kusama provides Polkadot with an early warning function akin to the historical practice of miners employing canaries in coal mines to detect hazardous gases.

Purpose and Creation

The same group that developed Polkadot, Parity Technologies, and Gavin Wood also developed Kusama with the intention of offering a quick and adaptable testing environment. Polkadot wants to be a platform that is safe, scalable, and compatible with other systems, however its stringent governance and high level of security may impede innovation. Kusama was therefore created to:

• Test updates and new features in a practical setting.
• Permit developers to experiment with new ideas and swiftly release their applications.
• For teams who aren’t yet prepared for Polkadot’s more demanding environment, decrease the entry hurdle.
• A more realistic testing environment is offered by operating with real economic value (its native KSM token), as opposed to standard testnets that use worthless “faucet” tokens.
• Allowing the testing of innovative tokenomics, new governance models, or blockchain concepts in a real-world, decentralised setting will promote creativity and experimentation.

Key Features and Architecture

Polkadot and Kusama have almost the same fundamental architecture and codebase. The Substrate framework from Parity Technologies, which permits adaptable and modular blockchain programming, including forkless upgrades, is used in its construction. The components of its two blockchains are:

Relay Chain

This is the main chain that oversees the entire network and provides cross-chain interoperability, shared security, and consensus among linked parachains.

Parachains

Parachains are distinct, application-specific blockchains that connect to the Relay Chain in order to use Kusama’s shared security and carry out transactions simultaneously.

Nominated Proof-of-Stake (NPoS)

Kusama employs a consensus process called Nominated Proof-of-Stake (NPoS), in which nominators assign their KSM to validators in order to receive staking incentives, and validators secure the Relay Chain and validate parachain blocks.

Collators

They produce validator candidate blocks, maintain parachain full nodes, and collect transactions.

Fishermen

They report network abuse.

Bridges

These methods allow data and value transfer between Kusama and its parachains and Ethereum or Bitcoin.

Cross-Consensus Messaging (XCM)

Cross-Consensus Messaging (XCM) supports complex multi-chain applications by enabling secure communication across Kusama parachains and maybe Polkadot.

Sharding

Kusama divides the network into parallel units (parachains) that process data and transactions to speed up and scale the network.

Difference between kusama and polkadot

Kusama prioritises quickness and agility over Polkadot, despite their similarities:

Faster Governance

Kusama’s administration is faster since referenda have shorter voting periods (7 days vs. 28 days on Polkadot) and faster implementation times. Iterating and releasing new features and problem fixes is faster.

Upgrade Cycles: Kusama’s network upgrades and changes faster.

Lower Entry Barriers

• Lower Staking Requirements: Kusama’s validator and nominator KSM requirements are usually lower than Polkadot DOT’s.
• Parachain Bonding Requirements: Kusama parachain slots (coretime) cost less KSM than Polkadot DOT, therefore early-stage projects can test their parachains cheaper.

Expect Chaos

To express its experimental mentality, Kusama’s unofficial motto is “Expect Chaos.” It’s meant to test new, potentially harmful, innovative ideas without harming the enterprise-grade Polkadot network.

Separate Governance

KSM holders rule Kusama, DOT holders Polkadot.

Examples/target audience

Kusama is appropriate for dApps, experimental projects, and early-stage startups that need high throughput and fast iteration despite the risk. Polkadot is for enterprise projects and applications that need maximum security, stability, and dependability.

Kusama vs polkadot

KSM Native Token

The native cryptocurrency of the Kusama network, KSM, is essential to its growth and operation. Its operations within the Kusama ecosystem are similar to those of DOT on Polkadot:

Governance

On-chain governance is carried out using KSM, which enables holders to take part by endorsing and voting on proposals as well as choosing the technical committee and council members. Additionally, KSM must submit Treasury plans that may finance initiatives that enhance the network.

Transaction Fees

The network’s transaction fees are covered by KSM.

Staking and Network Security

Nominators assign their KSM to validators in order to receive staking benefits, while validators stake their KSM in order to protect and run the network.

Acquisition of Parachain Slots (Bonding)

Parachains are separate blockchains that link to the Kusama Network, and KSM is used to acquire slots for them. In addition to community crowdloans, which are frequently used for KSM financing, projects bind (lock) KSM to bid for these slots through candle auctions.

Utility Token

KSM can be used for a number of tasks, including setting up and maintaining nomination pools, proxy accounts, and on-chain identities.

Bug Bounty Program

KSM is used to compensate those who find and disclose flaws in the Kusama code.

Kusama Gifts

KSM may be used to make and send gifts, making it easier to share tokens or onboard new users.

Investment/Trading

KSM’s price varies according to supply and demand, making it a suitable investment or trading tool.

To encourage stakeholders and preserve network health, Kusama has an inflationary approach that aims for about 10% annual inflation. A percentage of transaction fees can also be burned. The maximum supply in Kusama is 10 million KSM.

Who Makes Use of Ecosystem Projects and Kusama?

A wide range of users utilise Kusama, which is home to numerous projects:

• Before releasing their dApp or parachain on Polkadot, developers test it.
• Teams who wish to remain on Kusama indefinitely because of its flexibility, fast pace, and experimental culture.
• Innovators who require a platform that is less inflexible than Polkadot.
• Experimental initiatives and early-stage companies.

Particular initiatives that have started or continued on Kusama include:

• Moonriver (MOVR): Moonbeam’s sister network, a smart contract platform that is compatible with EVM.
• Karura (KAR): Acala’s sibling network, the DeFi hub and stablecoin platform, won a parachain slot auction.
• A dApp hub called Shiden Network is comparable to Polkadot’s Astar.
• KILT Protocol: Decentralized identification was the main focus.
• Khala Network: Phala Network’s canary network for cloud computing that protects privacy.
• Liquid staking for multiple tokens is offered by Bifrost (BNC).
• Additionally, Kusama has presented a “nested NFTs” concept that allows NFTs to “own” or “connect” to one another.
• An “interplanetary architecture” has been developed by the network in collaboration with Robonomics to transmit data between Mars and Earth.

Advantages and disadvantages

Kusama provides a number of benefits:

• Allows for practical testing without sacrificing Polkadot’s stability.
• Promotes experimentation and creativity.
• Has a flourishing community and environment of its own.
• Provides excellent scalability without compromising speed.
• Combines several blockchains for efficiency and gives developers flexible access.
• Includes threshold voting for equitable results and a strong governance structure.

Investors should take into account a few disadvantages, though:

• Fierce rivalry.
• Elevated security threats as a result of its experimental initiatives.
• Uncertainty about the platform’s features, both present and future.

Acquisition and Storage

Users can choose from a variety of non-custodial wallet alternatives to hold Kusama (KSM) tokens, allowing them to have complete control over their private keys. These consist of:

• Unafraid Wallet
• PolkaWallet
• Ledger Hardware Wallet (for further protection, use cold storage)
• The browser extension Polkadot{.js}
• Command-Line Utility for Subkeys (for advanced users)
• The SubWallet

By selecting a trustworthy cryptocurrency exchange that accepts it, such Binance, Coinbase, Kriptomat, Kraken, or Uphold, one can obtain KSM. Usually, the procedure is opening an account, funding it, choosing Kusama, inputting the purchase price, and verifying the transaction. KSM can be stored on the exchange or moved to a personal wallet after purchase.