An EVM-compatible DeFi parachain on Kusama, Karura Network serves as Kusama’s DeFi hub with a built-in DEX, KSM liquid staking, and low-fee cross-chain interoperability.
Karura Network is Kusama’s DeFi hub parachain (native token: KAR) that enables kUSD stablecoin minting, LKSM liquid staking, a cross-chain AMM DEX via XCM, and EVM+ smart contracts for DeFi deployment. Performance highlights: ~6s blocks (Kusama), sub-cent average fees (often <0.001 KAR per transfer), and practical throughput in the tens–hundreds TPS range with steady cross-chain liquidity and staking activity.
Karura Network is unique for combining native DeFi primitives (kUSD, LKSM, AMM DEX) with EVM+ and Substrate pallets in a single runtime, enabling Solidity dApps alongside on-chain governance and forkless upgrades. It inherits Kusama’s shared security and fast finality (~6s blocks) while delivering very low, predictable weight-based fees (typically < $0.01) and sufficient throughput (tens–hundreds TPS), resulting in cheaper swaps and seamless cross-chain transfers via XCM compared to many monolithic L1s.
Karura Network uses KAR as the gas token for transaction fees. You can obtain KAR by bridging from other chains or purchasing using thirdweb Bridge.
To bridge KAR to Karura Network, connect your wallet to thirdweb bridge, select your source chain, choose the token you want to bridge, select Karura Network as the destination, enter the amount, and confirm the transaction. The bridge will handle the cross-chain transfer instantly.
To build on Karura Network you can use thirdweb, which provides an easy way to build, monetize and scale your apps, games or agents. You can find detailed guides and documentation on https://portal.thirdweb.com to get started quickly.
To add Karura Network to your wallet, you can connect your wallet and click on [Add to Wallet] button at the top of the page. Alternatively, you can add the network manually using the RPC URL and chain details and add it to your wallet's network settings.
To send KAR on Karura Network, ensure your wallet is connected to the Karura Network network, enter the recipient's address, specify the amount of KAR to send, review the gas fee, and confirm the transaction in your wallet.