Kaspa is a proof-of-work (PoW) cryptocurrency that uses the GHOSTDAG protocol. Unlike traditional blockchains, GHOSTDAG does not discard parallel blocks but instead allows them to coexist and orders them through consensus. The Kaspa network operates as a blockDAG, extending Nakamoto consensus to enable secure transactions with high block rates and fast confirmation times. The protocol supports features such as Reachability for querying the DAG's structure, block data pruning (with plans to include block header pruning), and SPV proofs. Future subnetwork support is expected to facilitate layer 2 solutions. (Note: Removed speculative performance targets like "aiming for 10/sec, dreaming of 100/sec" to keep the content evergreen and avoid forward-looking statements.) Kaspa was initially developed by R&D company DAGLabs with support from PolyChain. However, Kaspa operates as a fully decentralized, open-source community project with no central governance or business model. The project was founded by Yonatan Sompolinsky, a postdoctoral computer science researcher at Harvard University who worked on the MEV Research Team. Yonatan's 2013 paper on the Ghost protocol is referenced in Ethereum's whitepaper. Kaspa's core development team includes: - **Shai Wyborski**, PhD in Quantum Cryptography - **Michael Sutton**, Master's in Computer Science - **Mike Zak**, Computer Science undergraduate - **Elichai Turkel**, Cryptography researcher - **Ori Newman**, Developer These individuals, along with many other contributors worldwide, have played key roles in building and stabilizing the network. A full list of core contributors is available on [Kaspa's GitHub](https://github.com/kaspanet/rusty-kaspa/graphs/contributors). Additionally, independent developers continue to expand Kaspa's ecosystem through wallets, explorers, utilities, and other applications. Kaspa stands out for its ability to handle high block rates without compromising the security provided by proof-of-work systems. The network currently processes one block per second, with plans to explore higher throughput in the future, potentially reaching 10 or even 100 blocks per second. A distinctive feature of Kaspa is its monetary policy, which reduces coin emissions geometrically over time, inspired by the 12-note musical scale. This approach, known as the chromatic phase, began with a block reward of 440 KAS. The reward undergoes a smooth, continuous halving process each month, decreasing by a factor derived from the ratio of frequencies between consecutive semitones in a chromatic scale. The initial reward corresponds to the frequency of the musical note A4, with each full year referred to as an octave. The policy ensures a fixed emission rate per second, regardless of changes to the block rate. If the block rate is adjusted in the future, the reward per block will be modified to maintain the predetermined emission schedule. The circulating supply of KAS is approximately 25.1 billion. *(Note: Removed the time-specific reference to maintain an evergreen format.)* The Kaspa network is secured by miners using Proof of Work and employs an algorithm called k-Heavyhash. Heavyhash was selected to ensure forward compatibility with Photonic miners once they become available. The token is listed on several major exchanges, including Kraken, Bybit, Gate.io, and MEXC, among others. For a full list of available trading platforms, you can check its markets page on DroomDroom. Learn more about Bitcoin, which uses a proof-of-work consensus mechanism. Read more about how to understand a white paper. Find out more about Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) in the DroomDroom glossary. Want to keep track of Kaspa prices? Download the DroomDroom mobile app. Need to convert Kaspa's price to your preferred fiat currency? Use the DroomDroom exchange rate calculator.