Ahead of the Kasplex mainnet launch on September 15, 2024, the KASmedia team was able to interview the popular KRC20 project, Nacho the Kat, also known as Nacho Wyborski, named after Kaspa core research Shai Wyborski's beloved black cat, Nacho. KRC20 is a token standard allowing developers to build fungible tokens on Kaspa, built by Kasplex, touted as the first protocol for the Kaspa Ecosystem. 

Nacho the Kat is a project within the Kaspa ecosystem that is more than just a playful cryptocurrency. Based on Kaspa's fast and scalable proof-of-work blockchain, Nacho the Kat is an important initiative in fostering community engagement and cultural identity within decentralized networks. No longer merely labeled as a meme coin, Nacho the Kat aligns with Kaspa's broader goal of building a thriving, interconnected ecosystem. Through its lighthearted approach, Nacho the Kat not only brings fun to the Kaspa community but also plays a crucial role in expanding the project's visibility and reach.

In this interview, we explore Nacho the Kat's origins and evolution—from its inception to its current achievements. We delve into the technical and community-driven aspects that have shaped the project, including the innovative KRC20 initiatives and the development of a new open-source mining pool. Through its engaging and community-centric approach, Nacho the Kat not only enhances the Kaspa network but also plays a pivotal role in broadening its appeal and fostering a deeper connection within the decentralized community.

As we dive into the details, we uncover how Nacho the Kat is not just a fun addition but a significant player in the ongoing development and expansion of the Kaspa ecosystem. This interview provides insight into the project's journey, its impact on the Kaspa community, and its future ambitions as it continues to push the boundaries of what's possible in decentralized technologies.

Nacho Team

How did you personally get interested in cryptocurrency? 

Our team’s journey into cryptocurrency was a collective one with roots spanning many industry sectors. While our professional backgrounds vary, we all share a deep appreciation for the potential of decentralized technology. Some of us entered crypto through mining, while others found their place in community building or the ecosystem's technical aspects. Together, we bring a diverse set of skills and perspectives with a shared passion for what crypto can achieve.

How did you find out about Kaspa? 

We discovered Kaspa while researching Layer 1 networks, and it immediately stood out because it solves the Blockchain Trilemma. Kaspa's innovative design can achieve what Satoshi Nakamoto originally envisioned for Bitcoin—peer-to-peer payments at scale, with decentralization, security, and speed intact. This balance, which many other networks struggle with, caught our attention.

*To read more about how Kaspa solves the Blockchain Dilemma, see Nicholas Sismil’s article: https://nicholas-sismil.medium.com/how-to-solve-the-blockchain-trilemma-a-blockdag-and-nakamoto-consensus-friendship-4573625c1697 

What made you fall in love with Kaspa? 

Kaspa’s technology is unparalleled, especially with its ability to solve problems that other Layer 1 blockchains continue to face, but equally important is its community. Unlike many toxic environments that can be found in crypto, Kaspa’s community is supportive, collaborative, and truly believes in decentralization and open-source ideals. It's a breath of fresh air in the industry.

Were you always interested in crypto mining?

Absolutely. Mining is a significant reason some of us joined the crypto space in the first place. We’ve seen firsthand how mining supports the backbone of decentralization and security in blockchain networks. Kaspa's miner-friendly structure is a key aspect that drew us to the project.

Have you always been interested in meme coins? 

Interestingly, none of us were particularly focused on meme coins before Nacho. Nacho was never just about the meme—it’s a vehicle for contributing to the broader Kaspa ecosystem. While we’ve embraced the fun and culture of meme coins, our goal with Nacho has always been to build something that offers more to the Kaspa community and crypto users in general.

Have you worked in crypto before? 

Yes. One of our team members runs a recruiting firm that has helped numerous crypto projects with talent acquisition over the years. Similarly, other members of our Creator team have built crypto communities and contributed to developing other networks. We’ve supported various projects behind the scenes, but Nacho represents our first true collective venture in the crypto space.

Nacho Beginnings

What made you decide that you wanted to build a project on Kaspa? 

Building on Kaspa was an easy decision for us. Its speed, scalability, security, and minimal gas fees make it a game-changer in the Layer 1 space. More importantly, Kaspa is aligned with the original vision of cryptocurrency—decentralized peer-to-peer payments. By creating Nacho the 𐤊at on Kaspa, we’re not just contributing to the ecosystem; we’re helping to demonstrate its full potential and utility to others.

How did you build out your team / community? 

The Nacho team and community grew organically from our shared interests in crypto, Kaspa, and decentralized projects. Many of us met through other crypto communities and realized we worked well together. As we started building Nacho, we found more like-minded people along the way. The community is at the core of what we do, and everyone involved becomes a part of the journey.

How did you settle on Shai’s cat, Nacho, for inspiration? 

Shai Wyborski is a lifeblood of the Kaspa ecosystem, and his love for his cat Nacho is a well-known aspect of his personality. That passion for his cat mirrors our own passion for the Kaspa network. So, Nacho became the perfect symbol for our project—a way to pay homage to Shai and celebrate the open, supportive nature of the Kaspa community.

How long did it take you to come up with the “purrfect” mascot for the project? Have you worked with AI image generators before?

The mascot ideation process took about two weeks. During that time, numerous community members—many of whom had significant experience with AI image generation—helped shape the vision. In fact, our media team continues to be driven by this community’s AI expertise, ensuring that the perfect image of Nacho remains at the heart of our branding.

What do you mean when you say you were the “first fair-launched token on Kaspa”? Were there other KRC20 projects to launch before you? 

While other KRC20 projects launched before us, none that we know of offered 100% of their token supply to public minting in small batches like Nacho did. The concept of "Fair Launch" means there were no pre-allocations, venture capitalists, or special treatment for any team members. Every NACHO token had to be minted by the community, with no special advantages given to anyone. This was crucial for aligning with our fairness and decentralization values.

How does NACHO differentiate itself from other KRC20 projects?

Nacho is unique in several ways. First, it’s the only project we know of that will deliver more than 10 million KAS back to Kaspa miners through our minting process, ensuring that the community and the miners benefit directly. This also helps to create one of the most distributed holder bases possible from day one, minimizing the risk of large whales manipulating the token. Additionally, Nacho bridges the gap between crypto newcomers and the highly technical Kaspa community by building educational tools and resources tailored for the average user. We're more than just a meme coin—Nacho serves as an entry point for users to discover the incredible technology Kaspa has to offer.

Tokenomics

Could you explain the tokenomics of NACHO? How do you plan to maintain its value?

The tokenomics of NACHO were designed with fairness and decentralization at their core. There’s a total supply of 287 billion NACHO tokens, all of which are available to the public via a minting process. Each mint transaction delivers 28,700 NACHO tokens at the cost of 1 KAS, with 100% of the tokens entering circulation through this public mint. This process ensures no team, venture capitalists, or early investors have an unfair advantage. We focus on building utility and community engagement to maintain value, ensuring that our token’s value is tied to its widespread use and strong community involvement.

How did you decide upon this tokenomics structure?

The structure emerged from our commitment to fairness. We wanted to ensure that anyone who wants to participate in NACHO can do so under equal conditions. The decision to require 10 million individual mint transactions not only discourages bots but also incentivizes participation in a way that aligns with Kaspa’s decentralized principles. Additionally, Kasplex requires a KAS fee for each mint, which ensures that Kaspa miners directly benefit, reinforcing the security and sustainability of the network.

How important was it for you to issue a fair launch mint? 

Issuing a fair launch was absolutely critical to us. We strongly believe that the ethos of cryptocurrency is rooted in fairness and decentralization, and we wanted to stay true to these principles. A fair launch ensures that there’s no team allocation, no airdrops to favored entities, and no presale that gives early investors a disproportionate advantage. It’s all about equal opportunity and letting the community define the project’s trajectory.

What utility does NACHO offer?

Nacho has already evolved well beyond its origins as a meme coin. The Nacho Community has released KatBot, a KRC20 Discord bot that provides users real-time information about tokens and allows them to perform key wallet functions like minting and deploying tokens directly within Discord. Additionally, we’ve launched KatScan, the industry’s first KRC20 Explorer and Insights platform. These tools are part of our broader mission to bridge the gap between everyday users and the technical complexity of the Kaspa ecosystem. By offering accessible, user-friendly tools, Nacho brings real utility to the community while promoting further engagement with Kaspa’s innovative technology.

Are there any plans to integrate your token with other projects or services within the Kaspa ecosystem?

Absolutely, and we’ve already taken significant steps in that direction. The launch of KatBot and KatScan shows our commitment to building valuable tools within the Kaspa ecosystem. Beyond that, we’re working on Kat Pool, an open-source Kaspa Mining Pool. We’re also collaborating with developers across the Kaspa network to ensure that Nacho remains at the forefront of innovation, driving growth and new use cases across the ecosystem.

Technical Aspects

What have you learned from the Kasplex beta launch? 

The Kasplex beta launch presented important learning opportunities for everyone in the ecosystem, including us. We learned the importance of rigorous testing and the need to manage expectations when launching something as technically complex as a KRC20 protocol. Additionally, it reinforced the value of strong communication with the community throughout the development process. The key takeaway was the necessity of collaboration between developers, projects, and the community to ensure smoother launches in the future.

Have there been any other technical challenges you’ve faced? 

Like any project, we’ve faced our share of technical challenges. One of the more significant hurdles was ensuring the minting process for Nacho tokens would scale smoothly while avoiding bot attacks. We’ve also had to adapt to the evolving infrastructure of the Kaspa network itself, which has kept us on our toes as we ensure our tools remain fully functional and scalable. From a development perspective, Kat Pool is proving to be the most significant technical challenge. Still, we are well on our way and confident we’ll deliver something that impresses the community.

What do our readers need to mint NACHO tokens? How easy is it to mint tokens with Kasplex? 

Minting NACHO tokens is simple and fast, with several ways depending on your preference. The easiest method is through Kat Bot in our Discord server, where you can mint directly within the chat environment. Alternatively, you can use the KSPR Bot on Telegram, available through this link, which allows you to mint Nacho tokens from your Telegram app. Lastly, for those not in Discord or Telegram, the KasWare wallet also offers a seamless minting experience. All you need is 1 KAS and a compatible wallet, and you’ll be able to mint NACHO tokens with minimal fees and near-instant transactions thanks to Kaspa’s scalability.

How likely are you to recommend building on Kaspa for future teams?

We highly recommend building on Kaspa for any project that values scalability, decentralization, and low fees. Kaspa’s ability to solve the Blockchain Trilemma—balancing security, decentralization, and speed—is unmatched. For anyone looking to create a project focusing on fairness and accessibility, Kaspa offers the perfect foundation.

Can you tell me more about your Kaspa Mining Pool? Can our readers join this mining pool? 

We're certainly very excited that we are currently building the ecosystem’s first truly open-source, production-ready Kaspa Mining Pool, called Kat Pool. While it’s still under active development, Kat Pool is designed to be open to everyone once released, allowing users to mine Kaspa and contribute to the security and decentralization of the network. We’re committed to making Kat Pool accessible and easy to use, and we can’t wait to share it with the community once it’s ready. Stay tuned for updates as we move closer to launching this important initiative!

NACHO Community

You have over 63K followers on X (twitter) as of September 13, 2024. [Congrats!] Did you realize that the project was going to be so popular? 

Thank you! The growth of the Nacho community has been both surprising and incredibly rewarding. While we always believed in Kaspa's potential and the fair launch principles behind Nacho, we didn’t anticipate just how quickly the community would rally around the project. The fact that we’ve grown so quickly is a testament not just to the strength of the community but to the genuine passion people have for the decentralized principles Nacho embodies. It’s not just about the numbers—it’s about fostering real engagement and collaboration.

Has the project been a gateway to the Kaspa ecosystem for some users? 

Absolutely. Nacho has become a gateway for many users who may not have been familiar with Kaspa before. Our focus on making the complex technology behind Kaspa more accessible, combined with our community-driven approach, has attracted many new users who might have otherwise overlooked Kaspa. Nacho has played a key role in bringing more attention to what Kaspa offers.

You are partnering to create a Tangem wallet card for NACHO. How did this come about? When will it be available? 

The Tangem wallet card partnership is a natural extension of our mission to make crypto more accessible to everyone. By providing a Nacho-branded physical wallet solution, we offer an easy and secure way for users to store and manage their Nacho tokens (once Tangem releases KRC-20 support). The Tangem card will not only be a fun collectible but also a functional tool for those who want a convenient and secure way to interact with their assets. We’re working closely with Tangem to bring this to market, and we’ll have more updates on availability soon!

You regularly offer giveaways on X (twitter). Is this something you will continue to do?

We do, and that is because we believe in rewarding our community and creating fun, engaging opportunities for people to participate. Giveaways are a great way to celebrate milestones, introduce new users to the Nacho project, and keep the community excited and involved. We’ll definitely consider continuing to offer them as part of our ongoing efforts to grow and engage with the Nacho community, but we must remember that Nacho is entirely community-run, so all of us will need to share our opinions on this as time progresses. 

You share Kaspa news in a fun way via X (twitter). Is this one of your missions for the token?

Sharing Kaspa news in an engaging and lighthearted way is part of our mission. We understand that the technical details of Kaspa can be overwhelming for new users, so we aim to make it more approachable. By keeping things fun and informative, we can spread the word about Kaspa while promoting transparency and education within the community.

How can the KASmedia community get involved with the Nacho community?

The best way to get involved is by joining us on Discord or Telegram, where the heart of the Nacho community thrives. You can engage with other members, participate in discussions, and even help shape the project's future. We encourage you to follow us on X (Twitter) to stay up-to-date with the latest news, giveaways, and community initiatives. The more you participate, the more you’ll see that Nacho isn’t just a token—it’s a community-driven movement.

Specific to KASmedia, the Nacho Community would love to work with you to further highlight the open-source solutions our community creates for the Kaspa ecosystem. Bringing awareness to solutions like Kat Bot, KatScan, and eventually Kat Pool will only help bring more Kaspians into the fold.

How do you incorporate feedback from the Kaspa and Nacho community into your project's development?

Feedback is absolutely essential to our project’s growth. Nacho is built on community involvement, and we actively encourage suggestions, ideas, and, most importantly, constructive criticism. Whether through our Discord or Telegram channels or from responses on X (Twitter), we always listen to what the community has to say. Many of our key features, such as KatBot and KatScan, were born out of direct feedback from the community. We believe in creating tools and features that our users want and need.

How have community requests or suggestions influenced the project's direction?

Community feedback has significantly impacted the direction of the project. From the very beginning, Nacho has been shaped by the voices of the people involved. For example, the creation of KatBot and KatScan was inspired by community members who wanted better, easier-to-use tools for interacting with KRC20 tokens. We’re committed to remaining flexible and adapting based on what the community wants, which keeps us in tune with their needs and expectations.

What are your long-term goals for the Nacho project?

Our long-term goal is to continue serving as the bridge between regular crypto users and the technical brilliance of the Kaspa network. At Nacho, we aim to empower individuals by providing them with the tools, resources, and knowledge to actively engage with and shape the future of Kaspa. By staying true to the principles of decentralization, transparency, and community-driven governance, we are committed to fostering an inclusive ecosystem where every participant has a voice. Through the continued development of innovative tools and further execution of our current roadmap and its future iterations, we aim to make Kaspa accessible to everyone, from newcomers to experienced developers, and ensure that the future of distributed ledger technology remains in the hands of the community.

Kaspa Community

Did you interact with Kaspa developer Shai Wyborski before announcing NACHO? After announcing NACHO? 

Before announcing Nacho, we were already familiar with Shai’s work and his crucial role in the development of Kaspa, but there wasn’t any direct interaction related to the project. After announcing Nacho, we’ve maintained casual interactions with Shai and other members of the Kaspa development community. While there’s no formal affiliation, we have great respect for Shai’s contributions, and the Nacho project was inspired by his beloved cat. We welcome as much interaction with the project as Shai would like. However, we remain vigilant about not asking too much of someone with such important work to accomplish. We may or may not feel comfortable formally associating with a third-party project.

How do you envision your project contributing to the Kaspa ecosystem?

Nacho contributes to the Kaspa ecosystem by making it more accessible and engaging for everyday users. While many crypto projects focus solely on technical innovation, Nacho’s strength lies in its ability to simplify Kaspa’s complexity for the average person. We build tools, like KatBot and KatScan, that lower the barrier to entry for newcomers while also providing valuable insights and functionalities for more seasoned users. In this way, Nacho acts as a bridge, helping bring more people into the Kaspa ecosystem and encouraging long-term engagement.

How has your project engaged with the Kaspa community so far?

Engagement with the Kaspa community has been vital to our success. We’ve actively participated in community discussions through casual conversations on social media or more structured feedback channels. Our approach is simple: stay transparent and encourage participation. We’ve built strong connections with community members who appreciate our open governance structure, and this collaboration has led to the successful development of tools and initiatives that reflect the community's needs. We also help spread awareness about Kaspa’s potential, drawing new participants into the ecosystem.

What strategies are you using to build and maintain a strong community around your token?

Building a strong community starts with ensuring that everyone has a voice and that no one individual has the power to silence any one of those voices. This applies to every individual, regardless of how often or thoroughly they have participated in the past. Our decentralized approach empowers our members to contribute directly to the project's direction. Regular engagement through discussions, open feedback, and creative events like giveaways and community challenges help maintain a strong connection with our user base. We also emphasize transparency in everything we do, ensuring the community knows exactly where the project is headed and how they can be involved. By making Nacho a community-driven endeavor from the start, we’ve created a sense of ownership that keeps people engaged and invested.

Can you share any interesting or successful community-driven initiatives or campaigns you’ve been a part of? That will launch soon? 

One of the most exciting community-driven initiatives is our ongoing development of Kat Pool, the first open-source Kaspa mining pool. The pool was conceptualized based on community feedback and reflects the Nacho community’s commitment to supporting the network at its core. Additionally, we’ve hosted several creative community events, from meme competitions to discussions on how to make the Kaspa ecosystem more inclusive and accessible. These initiatives showcase the innovative spirit of our community and highlight the power of decentralized collaboration.

Have you explored partnerships with other projects or platforms within or outside the Kaspa network? Any collaborations with other KRC20 projects? 

Yes, we’ve already formed a few key partnerships within the Kaspa ecosystem. One notable collaboration was with the KSPR Bot team, where we extended Kat Bot’s functionality by integrating many of its innovative features. Additionally, for Kat Pool, we regularly collaborate with several Kaspa ecosystem developers who offer valuable guidance and expertise. These partnerships not only help improve our work but also strengthen the connections within the broader Kaspa community, ensuring we are continuously learning and evolving as a project.

What are your favorite resources for Kaspa news?

KASMedia, of course! We also rely on a combination of official Kaspa channels, community updates, and direct engagement with developers and thought leaders within the Kaspa ecosystem. Social media platforms like X (Twitter) are great for real-time updates, while forums and direct discussions with community members often provide deeper insights. We also value community-created resources, as they offer unique perspectives and help spotlight grassroots developments that more formal outlets may not cover.

What are you most excited to see in the future of Kaspa? 

There are several exciting developments on the horizon for Kaspa. First, we’re looking forward to the Kasplex relaunch, which will improve the KRC20 token landscape and help projects like ours reach their full potential. The upcoming DAGKnight upgrade, pushing Kaspa toward an incredible ten blocks per second, will further cement Kaspa’s position as the fastest and most scalable Layer 1 network. We’re also keeping an eye on industrial use cases that are starting to take shape, especially with the work done by the Kaspa Kii team and others, opening the door for broader institutional adoption. Finally, as Kaspa’s hash rate grows, we anticipate even more institutional mining players joining the network, reinforcing Kaspa’s security and expanding its reach into new markets.