Share this article
First Decentralized Exchange Launches on Polkadot and Kusama Ecosystem
Karura Swap opened for trading with $3.4 million in total value locked.
Updated Sep 14, 2021, 1:30 p.m. Published Jul 23, 2021, 2:10 p.m.
Make us preferred on Google
The first decentralized exchange on the Polkadot and Kusama ecosystem has been launched by Karura, the decentralized finance (DeFi) network of the Acala Foundation.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
- Karura Swap opened for trading with $3.4 million in total value locked, according to an announcement Friday.
- The exchange's first trading pair is KSM/KAR, formed of the native tokens of Kusama and Karura.
- Karura Swap will harness a "bootstrap" mechanism as a means of launching a new trading pair in a warm-up mode as a means of achieving liquidity without some of the risks of market manipulation.
- Trading is temporarily disabled in bootstrap mode until the predetermined liquidity requirements are reached, the announcement said.
- Karura was announced in June as the first winner of a 48-week lease to build on Kusama, Polkadot's pre-production environment, also known as its "canary" network.
- Polkadot and other networks like Cosmos and Solana are offering developers a way to avoid the higher costs and increased congestion on Ethereum that have come with the explosion in the DeFi market.
Read more: Blockchain Privacy Firm Integritee Raises $2M Ahead of Kusama Parachain Auction
More For You
KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.
What to know:
- KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
- This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
- Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
- Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
- Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.
More For You
Gold tops $5,000 as bitcoin stalls near $87,000 in widening macro-crypto split: Asia Morning Briefing
Bitcoin’s onchain data points to supply overhang and weak participation, while gold’s breakout is priced by markets as a durable macro regime shift.
What to know:
- Gold’s surge above $5,000 an ounce is increasingly seen as a durable regime shift, with investors treating the metal as a persistent hedge against geopolitical risk, central bank demand and a weaker dollar.
- Bitcoin is stuck near $87,000 in a low-conviction market, as on-chain data show older holders selling into rallies, newer buyers absorbing losses and a heavy supply overhang capping moves toward $100,000.
- Derivatives and prediction markets point to continued consolidation in bitcoin and sustained strength in gold, with thin futures volumes, subdued leverage and weak demand for higher-beta crypto assets like ether reinforcing the cautious tone.
Top Stories
