TL;DR:

• Kaspa Toccata hard fork roadmap released: Core developer Michael Sutton outlined progress toward the covenant-enabled Toccata upgrade, including Silverscript L1 programmability, zk verification opcodes, and the partitioned sequencing commitment scheme (KIP-21), with mainnet activation now expected between June 5 and June 20.

• vProgs development path clarified ahead of upgrade: Researchers explained that the upcoming hard fork enables standalone zk applications anchored to Layer-1 through canonical bridging, while the full vProgs architecture for synchronously composable applications will arrive in later development stages.

• Igra token auction concludes with broad participation: The IGRA public sale cleared at 0.1652 iKAS with 49.36 million tokens sold across 528 bidders, funding development of an EVM-compatible Layer-2 network designed to bring Ethereum-style applications to the Kaspa ecosystem.

• Stablecoin liquidity expands on Kasplex Layer-2: USDT and USDC bridged from BNB Chain are now available within the Kasplex ecosystem, with Kasperia Wallet introducing in-app bridge support for transferring assets into the Layer-2 environment.

• Developer infrastructure expands ahead of covenant launch: A new builder hub preview and updates to the Kaspa_stream analytics platform introduce improved documentation, miner node telemetry, and covenant decoding tools for developers building on the network.

Kaspa Toccata Hard Fork Activates Covenant and ZK Infrastructure

On April 2, 2026, Kaspa core developer Michael Sutton published an outlook on the upcoming Toccata hard fork, now expected between approximately June 5-20, 2026. The upgrade activates the protocol infrastructure for covenant-based Layer-1 applications and zero-knowledge systems anchored to Kaspa’s BlockDAG. Sutton shared:

“Toccata marks the point where Kaspa’s high-frequency monetary base layer meets programmability in two layered forms: native L1 covenant systems, and based ZK systems built on top of the same foundations.”

Importantly, the hard fork does not introduce covenants or ZK research from scratch. Development in both areas has been underway for some time across research threads, prototypes, and testnet experiments. Over the past year, Kaspa developers have been building the underlying pieces, including covenant scripting capabilities, ZK verification opcodes, sequencing commitment access, and several proof-of-concept systems demonstrating covenant logic and ZK-based applications. These experiments helped shape the design of the upgrade, but have largely remained in development branches and testing environments rather than the main network.

What has been missing on mainnet are the consensus-level features required to make these systems safe and scalable. The Toccata upgrade activates those missing protocol components. Key elements include extended script-engine opcode support, forming the backbone of covenant functionality (KIP-17); covenant IDs that enable lineage tracking and management (KIP-20); ZK verification opcodes that enable proof verification directly on Layer-1 (KIP-16); and the partitioned sequencing commitment architecture defined in KIP-21.

KIP-21 is particularly significant because zk systems must reference the cryptographic commitment that represents the ordering of transactions in Kaspa’s DAG. Once ZK circuits are built around that commitment structure, changing it later would break those circuits. Sutton posted:

“Once ZK circuits and runtimes bind to a sequencing commitment hashing structure, later structural changes become breaking changes. So we prefer to take this extra time and lock in the right design from the start.”

By finalizing this architecture first, the upgrade effectively locks the sequencing structure that ZK systems will rely on. The partitioned commitment scheme also allows applications to prove work proportional to their own activity rather than the DAG's total activity, making ZK-based applications more practical at scale.

Following activation of the hard fork, developers will be able to build along two primary paths. On the Layer-1 covenant path, developers can write covenant-based applications directly on Kaspa using the Silverscript compiler, which is being developed by Sutton together with Ori Newman, IzioDev, and Manyfest. These applications can implement advanced UTXO-based workflows and programmable transaction constraints directly within Kaspa’s scripting environment.

Alongside this, the ZK infrastructure introduced in Toccata enables developers to build based ZK applications that inherit transaction ordering from the Layer-1 while performing computation externally and submitting cryptographic proofs back to the chain. These systems could support rollups, canonical bridges, and other proof-based applications that anchor their security to Kaspa’s DAG.

The upgrade, therefore, does not deliver applications itself. Instead, it activates the protocol foundation that allows those systems to be built on top of the network.

The mainnet activation was originally targeted for May 5, 2026, partly as a symbolic continuation of Kaspa’s musical naming sequence. However, finalizing the sequencing commitment architecture before activation required additional development time, shifting the expected activation window to June 5–20, 2026.

The roadmap outlined by Sutton includes a feature freeze scheduled for April 15, followed by a clean restart of Testnet-12 containing the final feature set. From there, development will focus on merging the long-running upgrade branch into the main Rusty-Kaspa codebase, completing final audits, and rehearsing the upgrade process through a simulated hard fork on the long-term Testnet-10 before scheduling mainnet activation.

Within the broader roadmap, Toccata represents an intermediate step rather than the final destination. The upgrade activates the infrastructure needed for covenant-based applications and zk systems, while future development aims toward verifiable programs (vProgs)—a longer-term architecture for synchronously composable applications built on top of the Kaspa network.

For node operators, the operational impact is expected to remain straightforward: nodes will require a software update, with disk usage projected to increase by roughly 20–50 percent, while existing functionality should continue to operate as before.

Kaspa Developers Clarify vProgs Roadmap and Current Progress

Following discussion around the upcoming Toccata hard fork, Kaspa developers clarified how the upgrade fits into the longer-term roadmap for vProgs (verifiable programs), an architecture envisioned for synchronously composable zk-based applications on Kaspa.

Responding to community questions, Hans Moog outlined four core components required to reach the full vProgs design:

1. A runtime capable of efficiently driving application state transitions

2. A mechanism for generating cryptographic proofs of that runtime’s activity

3. A system for settling those proofs on Layer-1 using covenant infrastructure

4. A meta-program capable of invoking and coordinating user-deployed applications while enforcing composability constraints

According to Moog, development is currently focused on the third stage. He stated:

“We are currently working on step 3, which will already enable programmability but interactions between apps have to go through the L1. 

The full vProgs vision of synchronously composable based apps will only be achieved once we advance to step 4.”

The upcoming Toccata hard fork provides the protocol infrastructure required for this phase by activating covenant functionality and zk verification capabilities on Layer-1. This allows zero-knowledge applications to anchor their proofs directly to the Kaspa base layer while using canonical bridging to move assets and state between Layer-1 and the application environment. Developers say this architecture enables independent zk applications to launch on Kaspa while preserving security guarantees from the base layer.

However, developers emphasized that this milestone should not be confused with the complete vProgs architecture.

Within the same discussion, Michael Sutton clarified how the current stage should be understood relative to the broader vProgs architecture. He posted:

“I’m careful not to call it vProgs but rather ‘standalone based zk apps,’ because they are not the complete vProgs. They will not support synchronous composability at this stage yet.”

Sutton explained that the defining feature of the full vProgs architecture is synchronous composability, which allows independent zk applications to interact directly with one another while maintaining their own proof systems and Layer-1 covenants.

The standalone zk applications enabled by the upcoming hard fork instead communicate through Layer-1 proof settlement and canonical bridging, meaning assets and state changes are verified through the Kaspa base layer rather than through third-party bridge infrastructure.

Sutton also noted that the broader direction toward vProgs depends on architectural components being introduced in the hard fork, particularly the partitioned sequencing commitment scheme, which allows proofs to scale with the activity of individual applications rather than the total activity of the network.

Meanwhile, the vProgs repository, primarily developed by Moog, is already implementing the runtime layer required to support these applications. Although the repository carries the vProgs name, its immediate purpose is to provide a high-performance execution environment for based zk computation over Kaspa while the protocol infrastructure is being finalized.

Moog added that development has progressed quickly so far, with recent milestones completed within a matter of weeks, though precise timelines for the remaining stages remain uncertain.

Developer Builder Hub Preview Shared for Kaspa Integrations

On March 31, developer IzioDev shared a preview of a new builder hub intended to help developers more easily integrate with the Kaspa network. Introducing the project, IzioDev wrote:

“As a builder, you 1. shouldn't feel intimidated and 2. easily find abstractions and recommendations.

Thanks to CryptoAspect's efforts into SDKs and documentation, we think we are able to provide a builder hub.”

The interface preview shows a structured integration guide covering common development tasks such as creating wallets, sending transactions, reading accepted transactions, attaching payload data, and running a Kaspa node.

Community members highlighted the importance of clearer developer tooling and documentation. In response, community member Amir (@fz_aamir) described the effort as foundational infrastructure for the ecosystem:

“The best tech in the world doesn't matter if developers can't figure out how to build on it. A clear path from getting started to running your own node removes the biggest barrier to adoption.”

The proposed hub would organize existing SDKs, documentation, and integration guides into a single entry point designed to reduce friction for developers building applications on Kaspa.

Kaspa_stream Update Adds Miner Telemetry and Covenant Decoding

Developer Supertypo shared several updates to the Kaspa_stream network analytics tool, expanding its monitoring and data-analysis capabilities for the ecosystem.

New features include miner node version tracking, which allows observers to follow the adoption of different node software versions across the mining network. The update also introduces improved payload decoding for Igra transactions, including links to Layer-2 activity.

Additional improvements include support for covenant decoding, expanded graph customization options (including logarithmic and bar chart views), search functionality for currencies and locales, and support for additional language localizations.

Kaspa_stream is widely used by developers and researchers to monitor network activity, making the added telemetry and decoding tools particularly useful as the ecosystem prepares for covenant-based applications in the upcoming Toccata hard fork.

Igra Labs Concludes Public Auction for IGRA Token

Igra Labs concluded the public auction for IGRA, the security and governance token of the Igra Network. Igra Labs is building an EVM-compatible Layer-2 network on the Kaspa BlockDAG, designed to bring Ethereum-style programmability and decentralized applications to the Kaspa ecosystem.

The permissionless on-chain auction, operated by ZealousSwap on Igra Mainnet, ran from March 28 to April 3, 2026, using contracts derived from Uniswap’s CCA auction framework. The sale cleared at 0.1652 iKAS per IGRA, with 1,915 total bids from 528 unique participants, resulting in 49.36 million IGRA tokens sold.

The auction used ZealousSwap’s ZAP batch auction mechanism, in which tokens are released block by block, and each block clears at a uniform market price based on active bids rather than a single launch block.

According to the project, the Igra network is now live, with its attestation system verifying state consistency between the rollup and the Kaspa base layer.

Token claims are scheduled to open on April 10, after which liquidity pools are expected to be seeded on decentralized exchanges.

Igra Network Added to viem Registry, Simplifying dApp Integration

Igra Lab’s CEO, Pavel Emdin, announced that the Igra Network has been added to viem's chain registry, a widely used toolkit for building Ethereum-compatible applications.

With the update, developers can now enable Igra support in applications built with common Web3 frameworks, including wagmi, RainbowKit, ConnectKit, and Reown AppKit, without manually configuring the network.

The change allows many existing decentralized applications and wallets to add Igra compatibility with a single import, reducing setup friction for developers building on the ecosystem.

The registry entry lists Igra with Chain ID 38833, using iKAS as the network’s native token.  

Kaskad Exposes MCP Server for AI-Driven Testnet Lending Strategies

The lending protocol Kaskad announced that it has exposed a public MCP (Model Context Protocol) server, allowing AI agents to interact directly with its testnet application.

Announcing the release, the team wrote:

“Effective today, any AI agent can connect to our Testnet dApp, read live markets and execute real testnet lending strategies: supply, borrow, repay, rebalance… all this fully autonomously.”

According to the team, the MCP interface enables agents to read live lending market data, evaluate current APYs, and execute transactions such as supplying collateral, borrowing assets, repaying loans, or rebalancing positions.

In an example shared by the project, an agent analyzed changes in incentives following an on-chain governance vote and rebalanced approximately 300,000 USD across 8 transactions to increase net yield.

The MCP server is open source and designed to allow external AI agents to interact with the protocol programmatically without relying on the graphical user interface. The functionality is currently available on testnet, where developers can experiment with automated DeFi strategies.

KasProof Launches File Timestamping Tool on the Kaspa BlockDAG

A new application called KasProof allows users to create cryptographic proof that a file existed at a specific point in time by anchoring its hash to the Kaspa network.

Announcing the launch, the developer, @KasRanks, wrote:

“Drop any file. Your browser hashes it.

The Kaspa DAG timestamps it. Permanent. Unforgeable. Cryptographically verifiable.

Your file never leaves your device.

No server. No account. No trust. Just math.”

The tool hashes files locally using SHA-256, generating a unique fingerprint. That hash deterministically derives a Kaspa address, and a small transaction sent to that address serves as the timestamp recorded on the BlockDAG.

Verification works by hashing the same file again and checking the transaction history of the derived address. If a transaction exists, the file’s existence at that time can be independently confirmed.

KasRanks noted that the system does not upload files or store them on-chain, since only the hash and transaction are recorded.The application is live on Kaspa mainnet and lists a 3 KAS fee per timestamp.

KNS Domain Registrations Reach 45,000

The Kaspa Name Service (KNS) reported that more than 45,000 .kas domains have now been registered on the network.

Announcing the milestone, the project wrote:

“KNS Reached 45k Domain Registered!

Keep building! More to come!”

KNS provides a domain-style naming layer for Kaspa, allowing users to register human-readable .kas identities that can map to wallet addresses and other on-chain data through inscription-based records.

Kastle Wallet Previews Explore Page for In-App Access to Kaspa Applications

The Kastle Wallet team previewed an upcoming mobile update introducing an Explore page, designed to provide a single entry point for verified Kaspa ecosystem applications directly within the wallet.

Announcing the feature, the team wrote:

“One place to access all verified Kaspa ecosystem apps through an in-app browser.

No external tabs. No address hunting. Just tap and go.”

The Explore page will function as an integrated in-app browser listing verified applications, allowing users to open ecosystem services without leaving the wallet environment.

In a demonstration shared by the team, the feature was shown interacting with the ZealousSwap ZAP auction interface, allowing users to place bids using iKAS for projects launching on the platform.

Kasperia Wallet Update Adds Support for Kasplex Stablecoin Bridge

Kasperia Wallet v1.10.78 introduced support for the Kasplex stablecoin bridge, adding in-wallet functionality for moving assets between Kaspa and the Kasplex Layer-2 network.

The bridge supports stablecoin transfers, including USDT and USDC bridged from BNB Chain into Kasplex, providing stable liquidity for applications building on the Layer-2 ecosystem.

Kasperia is a lightweight browser extension wallet designed for Web3 interaction on the Kaspa network. The wallet supports native KAS and KRC-20 tokens, as well as Kasplex integrations, allowing users to manage assets and interact with decentralized applications directly in the browser.

The update adds a streamlined bridge flow inside the wallet interface, enabling users to transfer assets across networks without leaving the application.

Wolfpack Poker Night Brings KAS Payments to Wolfy’s Bar

A “Wolfpack Poker Night” hosted by Web3PokerClub took place on April 2 at Wolfy’s Bar in London, bringing together community members for a free-to-play poker tournament that was streamed live online.

Sponsored by the Kaspa Ecosystem Foundation and Kastle Wallet, the event also featured KAS payments through Kastle Wallet, with attendees receiving discounts on food and drinks when paying with the cryptocurrency.

The poker night is part of a growing series of Kaspa-related events at the venue, where meetups, merchant payments, and community gatherings are increasingly being organized around real-world use of the network.

London Meetup Announced: “Industry Adoption: Kaspa’s Unstoppable Scalability – Part 2”

A new Kaspa community meetup, “Industry Adoption: Kaspa’s Unstoppable Scalability – Part 2,” has been announced for May 7 in London. The event will once again take place at Wolfy’s Bar and is sponsored by the Kaspa Ecosystem Foundation and Kastle Wallet, with production support from BlockchainBants.

The meetup continues the “Unstoppable Scalability” event held earlier at the same venue, where creators, business owners, and community members gathered to discuss Kaspa’s scalability and real-world payments. During that event, attendees used the Kastle Wallet to pay for food and drinks at the venue, demonstrating point-of-sale transactions using KAS.

The upcoming session will continue discussions around Kaspa’s potential industry adoption while providing an opportunity for builders and community members to connect in person.

A registration link is expected to be released soon.