This is Not a Drill - Smart Contracts Launching August 31

Crypto Grodd (@groddofcrypto) posted that smart contracts are set to launch on August 31, 2025, on Kasplex. This was later confirmed by Kasplex themselves The launch of smart contracts on Kaspa through Kasplex marks a major milestone for the ecosystem. Kaspa is known for its high-speed, scalable BlockDAG architecture; however, it has lacked native smart contract functionality until now. With Kasplex bringing EVM compatibility to Kaspa, developers can now build decentralized applications directly on one of the fastest and most secure proof-of-work networks. This opens the door for DeFi, NFTs, gaming, and other on-chain innovations to thrive on Kaspa, combining the programmability of Ethereum with the performance and security of Kaspa's unique infrastructure.

Mark your calendars and visit Kas.Live to see the official countdown. We'll have a tab open until launch.

Moreover, Kasplex highlighted the details of their protocol and development at the Malaysia Blockchain Week 2025, held from July 21–22 at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL). Drawing over 3,300 attendees from more than 20 countries, the event served as a dynamic hub for blockchain collaboration and innovation across Asia. Kaspa’s presence was front and center, with key representatives delivering presentations, joining panels, and introducing next-generation technology designed to push the boundaries of decentralized infrastructure.

The centerpiece of Kaspa’s appearance was the keynote from Kaspador, who introduced Kasplex, a powerful Layer-2 built on Kaspa. After outlining Kaspa’s fundamentals as a highly scalable BlockDAG capable of producing blocks every 100 milliseconds (enabled by a recent hard fork and innovative protocol design), the focus turned firmly to the future. Kaspador highlighted that Kasplex aims to “bring Kaspa to life” by unveiling a high-speed, fully decentralized Layer-2 network running on proof-of-work, rather than relying on third-party proof-of-stake chains.

Kasplex is fully EVM-compatible—enabling straightforward porting of existing Ethereum dApps—and uses KAS as its native gas token, with no need for wrapping. The architecture features a native bridge, fast finality, and support for KRC20 tokens (akin to BRC20 on Bitcoin). The testnet is already active, featuring emerging projects such as ProbiFi (prediction markets), Moonbound (a meme coin launch platform), Kasia (a messaging protocol), and DeFi primitives including lending, borrowing, and aggregators. Over 130 million KAS have been settled on the network to date, with single-day volumes reaching 15 million KAS—all attributed to real users, not bots. Kaspador stated the main goal is to empower everyone to build, also sharing that the team is working “day and night” to bring smart contracts live on mainnet by the end of August.

Be sure to visit the Kasplex Youtube Channel to view Kaspador’s talk. 

Another major highlight was the participation of Junny Ho, Executive Director of the Kaspa Ecosystem Foundation (KEF), in the panel “Labuan as a Strategic Launchpad: Accelerating Digital Asset Services Across Asia.” Moderated by Luk WX of Paul Hastings LLP and featuring industry leaders such as Serene Liaw (Labuan IBFC) and Perry Wong (ViaBTC), this panel focused on the region’s regulatory landscape. Junny Ho emphasized KEF’s commitment to supporting compliant, scalable growth in Asia, positioning Kaspa as a foundational technology for financial innovation and regulatory alignment throughout the region.

From keynotes to regulatory roundtables, Kaspa’s presence at Malaysia Blockchain Week demonstrated its readiness to take a leading role in the future of an international decentralized infrastructure.

Must Watch - Michael Sutton on XXIM Podcast

This week on the XXIM podcast, we heard from Kaspa core contributor Michael Sutton, who took us deep into the tech behind the previous Crescendo hard fork, and what it means for Kaspa’s future.

Michael has been building since the very beginning, long before Kaspa even had a name. With a Master’s in Computer Science from the Hebrew University, his background in high-performance computing and graph theory helped shape the BlockDAG at the core of Kaspa. He explained that a graph in computer science is “the abstraction of a set of vertices and edges between,” and it can model anything from Twitter to a company roadmap. 

Sutton detailed his start with Yonatan at DAG Labs and how he transitioned from experimental research to theoretical research. He mentioned that his favorite part of the SPECTRE and PHANTOM GHOSTDAG papers was the thinking, modelling, and the theory. He classified it as connecting game theory with consensus. Sutton called the Crescendo launch “a milestone,” with its 10 blocks per second performance, and the testnet has been running nonstop since January 2025.

Crescendo isn’t just about speed—it’s laying groundwork for Kaspa’s future. The hard fork bundled multiple upgrades through KIP-14, including cleaner fees, block size clarity, payload support, and more. These are all essential to support things like rollups, MEV resistance, and eventual smart contracts on Layer 1.

Sutton is excited that, going forward, more people will help carry the load of future upgrades. He named fellow contributors like Ori, Maxim, and CoderofStuff. While Michael continues to test advanced versions of DAGKNIGHT internally, he’s energized to see the broader development community start to take the reins.

Always appreciative, Sutton said this of the Kaspa community:

"I'm just excited, privileged, privileged, and humbled to be at this point where I can affect such a movement…more and more people showing up more and more clever, well-articulated people who know what they're saying, what they're doing, people who know the limits of their understanding—acting and communicating about Kaspa. It's very special to watch.

Seeing how people appreciate knowledge. I'm not sure how many times in history we've seen it, but it's not often that you see general people who are not necessarily technical, yet appreciative of knowledge, of pure science, and of applied research. To me, it's special to see and be in this position, where I'm both researching and applying this. I appreciate it. I think we're going to do well."

Looking ahead, he's confident Kaspa can become one of the top platforms in the space, combining real-time PoW settlement with zk-enabled smart contracts and seamless composability, all on Layer 1.

It's a big vision, and Crescendo is just the beginning.

Igra Labs Carvel Testnet Is Live

On July 21, 2025, Igra Labs launched the Caravel testnet on Kaspa's TN10 network, marking a significant milestone for Kaspa's Layer 2 smart contract ecosystem. Caravel is an Ethereum-compatible Layer 2 solution built on Kaspa's high-speed BlockDAG, enabling developers to deploy smart contracts and decentralized applications with fast finality and true decentralization.

The initial phase, known as Genesis, involved the activation of core smart contracts, the minting of the IGRA token, and the deployment of the Layer-1 to Layer-2 canonical bridge for seamless interoperability. Following launch, Igra Labs has been actively testing and refining the network to ensure stability and performance.

Developers and users can test Caravel by running nodes, interacting with the smart contracts, and utilizing the bridge that connects Kaspa's native KAS token to its Layer-2 representation (iKAS). With full EVM compatibility, Caravel allows easy porting of Ethereum dApps while leveraging Kaspa's unique scalable architecture.

Congrats to the entire Igra Labs team on this important achievement! We hope the team has taken the time to celebrate this milestone as they continue to build the future of decentralized finance on Kaspa.

To read more about Igra Labs, please see our previous Weekly Knight articles. 

Quex Tech Working with Kaspa Companies

Founded in 2023 and headquartered in Limassol, Cyprus, Quex (@Quex_Tech) is a blockchain infrastructure startup that focuses on providing hardware-level secure data oracles bridging Web2 and Web3. According to Quex's official whitepapers and communications, their technology enables smart contracts to access, compute, and verify real-world information on-chain using Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs)—secure enclaves in processors that isolate code and data to protect against tampering—and Intel TDX chips, which are designed to enhance such secure computing.

Quex's "Cyber-Frog" oracle architecture is positioned by the company as an enterprise-grade alternative to existing solutions, such as Chainlink. It offers multi-source, tamper-resistant data feeds tailored for applications across decentralized finance (DeFi), real-world assets, gaming, and prediction markets. The company has also made its smart contracts publicly available, having undergone third-party audits to enhance transparency and decentralization efforts.

Quex collaborates closely with key projects in the Kaspa ecosystem, integrating its hardware-secured oracle solutions to enhance on-chain data reliability and security. With Igra Labs, the EVM-compatible smart contract platform built on Kaspa's BlockDAG, Quex enables smart contracts to access real-world data validated through Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs), ensuring cryptographically verified, tamper-resistant information for a wide range of decentralized applications. 

Additionally, Quex supports KaspaCom, an emerging DeFi platform specializing in lending and borrowing services, by providing fast, hardware-backed price feeds that improve the safety and dependability of financial operations on the platform. These partnerships exemplify Quex's role in strengthening secure, scalable decentralized finance and real-world asset applications throughout the Kaspa network.

Kaspa V. BTC Continues

This week, the crypto community was treated to a spirited and enlightening debate dissecting the technical and philosophical differences between Bitcoin and Kaspa in a proof-of-work showdown between our own Kaspa Silver and Rajat Soni on the Mr. M. Podcast. The conversation highlighted each project's approach to scaling, self-sovereignty, storage, and the trade-offs inherent in protocol design.

For those unfamiliar with Kaspa Silver, he runs a fantastic YouTube channel that we've mentioned before on our site, and highly recommend. Having been in crypto since he was 18, experimenting with various cryptocurrencies, he felt something unique when he discovered Kaspa. As he explains

"It felt very unwise for me to sit back and not get on the train to understand what's going on here," he said. "I believe what Kaspa presents to humanity is something really, really great—something that everyone can actually find use in."

The conversation delved into topics such as block production, node architecture, and long-term network sustainability. Kaspa Silver made a compelling case for Kaspa as the next evolution of proof-of-work—built not to replicate Bitcoin, but to improve upon it.

He outlined how Kaspa's blockDAG architecture, with 10 blocks per second and a pruning mechanism, enables massive scalability without compromising decentralization. While Bitcoin aims to be a store of value, Kaspa is built for speed and utility, offering near-instant finality and self-custody at scale. He stated that you don't need to sacrifice your self-sovereignty with Kaspa.

When critics raised concerns about missing transaction history, Kaspa Silver clarified that Kaspa's lightweight node design is an intentional trade-off, allowing anyone to run a node and participate in the network without needing specialized hardware. It's about long-term survivability and access.

Kaspa isn't trying to replace Bitcoin. It's here to fill the usability gap with fast, scalable, and decentralized infrastructure built for the world we live in now. 

XXIM With Octa Blockchain

In a recent episode of the XXIM Podcast, Tarik—founder of OctaSpace—joined to discuss what it means to build in the Kaspa ecosystem and why he believes this moment is pivotal for developers. 

Tarik describes Octa as a "Swiss Army Knife of blockchain," a scalable and fully decentralized cloud node infrastructure for distributed computing, but OctaSpace is much more than a decentralized VPN. It offers a powerful, all-in-one platform in Web3, featuring a wide range of innovative services. It includes an ultra-fast and cost-effective rendering platform that has processed over 3 million frames. 

The platform also provides a decentralized computing marketplace with more than 50 ready-to-use apps, covering areas such as mining, AI, hardware rentals, and virtualized environment nodes, including Boundless and Aztec. Additionally, OctaSpace enables remote gaming, allowing users to play high-quality games instantly without needing a console, all at very competitive prices. With thousands of users and tens of thousands of sessions, OctaSpace is quickly becoming a groundbreaking hub in the Web3 space.

Tarik shared how he discovered Kaspa through research on proof-of-work coins. He wanted to build on a proof-of-work chain "primarily because it's the only true way to ensure fair launch, right? Everything is on-chain." He was also drawn to the energy of the community and the pace of development. He stated, "I love the passion of the Kaspa community, and I also want to give something back to them as an additional utility for Kaspa."

Thanks, Ankit and Tarik, for such an enlightening conversation. We look forward to learning more about Octa

Kurncy Wallet Goes Mobile

Kurncy Wallet’s latest update (V1.0.9) is now live on both the Apple App Store and Google Play. A standout improvement in this release is the removal of the previous requirement to hold KURNCY tokens to operate multiple wallets, making it easier than ever for users to manage several accounts without restrictions.

The update also enhances the user experience with redesigned secret phrase displays, consistent PIN and loading screens, and the introduction of new asset icons, including an updated receive symbol. Security measures have been strengthened, as users must now confirm they have saved their secret phrases before removing wallets or deleting accounts, with clear warnings to prevent accidental loss.

Behind the scenes, the app benefits from improved caching, smarter data refresh, and more robust error handling, resulting in smoother and more reliable performance.

Kurncy encourages users to upgrade to the newest version and join the movement to redefine the future of decentralized finance. Follow the links below to download the Kurcy Wallet today:

• AppStore: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/kurncy-wallet/id6739890554 

• GooglePlay: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kurncy&pcampaignid=web_share 

SeaSwap News

SeaSwap is a decentralized exchange (DEX) aggregator designed to help users maximize the value of their trades. Instead of relying on a single liquidity pool, SeaSwap scans across multiple DEXs to find the best available prices, reducing slippage and lowering costs. By optimizing trade routes through its aggregation engine, it ensures that users receive better rates than they would from any single exchange.

Now, SeaSwap is expanding its impact through key integrations. ProbiFi has integrated SeaSwap directly into its app, enabling users to swap tokens instantly without leaving the platform. Whether adjusting a KAS position or shifting between markets, trades happen seamlessly within ProbiFi, powered by SeaSwap’s backend routing. ProbiFi is a decentralized trading and prediction platform built on Kaspa, offering users a fast, transparent, and trustless way to engage with financial markets.

Additionally, SeaSwap has also incorporated the KaspaCom DEX on Kasplex into its aggregation engine. This marks an exciting milestone for on-chain trading in the Kaspa ecosystem, with direct user access expected to roll out as soon as next month.

ProbiFi Updates

ProbiFi has made significant strides since launching its public beta testnet on Kasplex. The platform now supports in-app token swaps through its integration with SeaSwap, and it's compatible with both Kastle and Kasware wallets. Users can access the platform on mobile with full dark mode functionality, and ProbiFi has introduced the first oracle-based prediction markets on Kaspa. So far, the testnet has seen nearly 100,000 KAS in trading volume.

Looking ahead, the team is exploring new types of markets, possibly including sports, as well as NFT-based revenue-sharing features and additional collaborations across the Kaspa ecosystem. You can try the beta at bet.probifi.market or explore the new swap tool at bet.probifi.market/swap. 

Mark Your Calendars—Zealous Swap, Moonbound talk Building on Kasplex

Zealous Swap will be joining Moonbound for an X Spaces on August 1 at 5 pm UTC (1 pm EDT); you won't want to miss—"Building on Kasplex: Inside the L2 Revolution."

This conversation will explore what it truly means to build on Kaspa's upcoming Layer 2, Kasplex, launching on August 31. Expect insights from real builders and users shaping the future of KAS.

• Zealous Swap is a Kaspa-native DEX pushing boundaries with community-first innovation.

• Moonbound is building tools to onboard users and devs into the Kaspa ecosystem.

• Kasplex is the new L2 platform designed to scale Kaspa's speed and security with real utility.

Be sure to set a reminder and tune in: X Spaces Link.

Join the Kaspa Academy 

Y. Stan (@YStan__ ) has launched a new X community, known as the Kaspa Academy. It is a space dedicated to sharing near-daily educational content about Kaspa. In just a few days, it’s already grown to over 300 members. It’s a free and fun place to learn, engage with fellow Kaspaians, and stay up-to-date on the ecosystem.

To join, just follow this link, and be sure to follow the rules below:

1. Be kind and respectful.

2. Keep posts on topic.

3. Explore and share.

Kas Coffee: Ready for Some Brewing?

A new app is brewing in the Kaspa community: kas.coffee, a donation platform designed to support creators, community initiatives, and crowdfunding efforts using KAS.

Users can create a profile, describe what they offer, and receive direct KAS contributions via a simple link—all 100% free to use. The platform is still in its early development stage, but it is already generating excitement.

Thanks to recent updates from @kaspador_, kas. coffee's MVP is now live and fully usable. You can register your account, set up your page, share it across social media, and start receiving donations right away. While there's still work to be done, it represents a significant step forward for the community.

Credit for the idea goes to @imaldev, with @kaspador_ leading the development. We love seeing this kind of collaboration and innovation within the Kaspa ecosystem—big thanks to both @imaldev and @kaspador_.