Karura

Karura is the all-in-one DeFi hub of the Kusama network, founded by the Acala Foundation. Built as a scalable, EVM-compatible blockchain optimized for decentralized finance, Karura offers liquid KSM staking (earning rewards while maintaining liquidity via LKSM tokens), an AMM DEX with cross-chain swap functionality, collateralized borrowing, and liquidity provisioning. The platform supports micro gas fees payable in virtually any token and is built on Substrate, inheriting Kusama's shared security while enabling higher risk tolerance and faster governance than Polkadot. KAR is the native utility token used for governance, staking, fee payment, and incentive distribution. Karura operates as a sister network to Acala (the DeFi hub of Polkadot), with both networks designed to be fully interoperable once Kusama is bridged to Polkadot.