What is Kucoin exchange? From national exchange to multi-dimensional ecology

Development history of KuCoin project

• Establishment Stage (2017): KuCoin was launched by Michael Gan and Eric Don , with vision and expertise, helping to popularize global digital asset trading.

• Expansion and upgrade (2018–2020): Launch of platform 2.0 , margin & futures support, SEPA fiat gateway integration and mobile app. By 2020, trading volume exceeded 3.6 trillion USD , honored as a top exchange by Forbes.

• Private Blockchain Development (2021): Introducing EVM-compatible KuCoin Community Chain (KCC) , expanding to DeFi, NFT, GameFi , and Web3.

• Funding and ecosystem expansion (2022): $150 million Series B led by Jump Crypto, $10 billion valuation , and launch of $100 million Metaverse & NFT fund .

• Compliance & Innovation (2023–2024): Implement mandatory KYC , upgrade UI/UX, launch KuCard (Visa card) & KuCoin Pay , expand operations in Europe.

The turning point came in 2025 when it launched xStocks (crypto securities) and KCC 3.0 , was audited by Hacken Proof of Reserve, and applied for MiCA (EU) and Thai SEC licenses . Despite withdrawing from the US market after a $300 million legal settlement, KuCoin still serves over 40 million global users , ranking #4 in futures trading on CoinGlass.

Core technology inside

KuCoin's technology system focuses on multi-layered security and scalability. By October 2025, Kucoin will be the first exchange to achieve CCSS (Cryptocurrency Security Standard) certification , adding to existing standards such as PCI DSS, ISO/IEC 27001, SOC 2 Type II. Key features include cold storage for 95% of assets, real-time monitoring, penetration testing by Hacken (identified 34 vulnerabilities in 2021), and a bug bounty program.

Integrates Chainlink oracle for accurate P2P prices, BitGo for institutional custody (2024), and AI trading bot with 12 strategies like AI Spot Trend, Futures Martingale.

KCC Blockchain is upgraded to version 3.0 (Q4/2025), supporting cross-chain interaction and Layer 2. The June 2025 security report reached 90% overall, with 100% in server and user security. The AAA rating from CER.live emphasizes the security position of the exchange.

By combining cutting-edge core technology and strict security standards, KuCoin not only maintains high performance but also builds solid trust among the global user community.

KCC Blockchain Ecosystem (KuCoin Community Chain)

KCC (KuCoin Community Chain) is a decentralized public chain launched in June 2021 by the user community and the KuCoin Labs team. This chain is developed with the goal of optimizing speed, reducing gas costs, and providing a friendly environment for DeFi, GameFi, and NFT. KCC uses KCS (KuCoin Shares) as a gas token, playing a central role connecting the entire KuCoin ecosystem.

KCC Infrastructure:

• Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM): KCC is fully EVM compatible, allowing for quick deployment of smart contracts from Ethereum and other compatible chains. Developers can use the Solidity language to easily build DApps on KCC.

• KCC Bridge: Multi-chain asset bridge enables token transfers between Ethereum, BNB Chain, Polygon, Arbitrum and KCC, supporting popular assets such as ETH, USDT, USDC and KCS, ensuring secure and low-cost transactions.

• KCC Explorer: A blockchain browser similar to Etherscan, allowing to track transactions, smart contracts, validators, blocks, and on-chain data, serving developers and users.

• KCC Node & RPC Infrastructure: Open technical infrastructure that allows running nodes, accessing blockchain data, integrating APIs and SDKs, and supporting testnet environments for DApp testing.

• KCC DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization): Decentralized governance organization where the community can propose, vote and decide on the direction of chain development, ensuring transparency and autonomy.

• Proof of Staked Authority (PoSA): Hybrid consensus mechanism between PoS and PoA, helps shorten block confirmation time (~3s), reduce gas costs, while maintaining high security thanks to carefully selected validators.

• KCS Token (Gas Token): KCS Token is used to pay transaction fees, staking and DAO governance, and is the driving force behind the entire KCC network.

Complete KCC development – ​​from EVM, Bridge, Explorer to PoSA – KuCoin has built a solid technical foundation for DeFi, NFT and Web3.

Diverse product range from Kucoin

KuCoin is a global exchange that provides a comprehensive product ecosystem, from spot, margin (1,000+ tokens, >10x leverage) to futures (450+ contracts), staking, lending, and cloud mining. Featuring Pre -Market Trading , xStocks (crypto securities, Q3/2025), KuCard Visa with Apple Pay integration, and KuCoin Pay for global merchants.

KuCoin also expands into RWA (Real World Assets) through blogs, webinars, and market analysis. The fiat gateway supports credit cards, SEPA, and zero-fee conversions, while the KuCoin Learn & Earn program promotes education and community interaction.

The DeFi segment on KuCoin Community Chain (KCC) is the core platform that drives the KuCoin ecosystem to expand to Web3. With low fees, high speed, and EVM compatibility, KCC attracts many projects such as MojitoSwap and KuSwap , supporting trading, lending, and farming. KCS acts as a gas token and staking reward, creating a closed-loop value cycle. KuCoin focuses on developing DeFi combining RWA and AI, expanding the scope of decentralized finance applications.

GameFi and NFTs on the ecosystem are also new growth drivers, connecting users to the world of Web3 entertainment. Thanks to low gas costs and fast processing speed, KCC facilitates the development of many play-to-earn and NFT collectible projects, such as KCC Games Guild and KuCoin NFT Marketplace (Windvane) . KuCoin Labs and KuCoin Ventures invest heavily in potential blockchain game and NFT projects, building a bridge between DeFi - GameFi - Metaverse, towards a decentralized entertainment ecosystem where users can play, create and own real digital assets.

KCC’s Developer & Growth Program is designed to attract and support developers building decentralized applications (dApps) on the KuCoin ecosystem. Through grants, technical support, marketing, and community connections, the program helps projects accelerate development and expand users. KCC also regularly organizes hackathons and incubators to search for potential ideas, and cooperates with KuCoin Ventures and KuCoin Labs to invest in and incubate quality Web3 projects.

KuCoin Exchange (Spot & Futures Trading): Core trading platform, supporting over 1,000 tokens and over 450 futures contracts , with fees of just 0.1% – one of the lowest in the market. Friendly interface, copy trading and AI bots make it easy for beginners, while still providing enough advanced tools for professional traders.

KuCoin Earn: Flexible staking, lending and saving products , allowing users to earn passive profits from idle assets. Forms such as Flexible Saving, Locked Staking, Dual Investment are popular because of high interest rates and ease of use.

KuCard & KuCoin Pay: Crypto Visa card and payment system that enables real-life spending of digital assets . Users can deposit, transfer, and pay directly with KCS or USDT, integrated with Apple Pay and Google Pay .

xStocks (Crypto Securities): Launched in 2025, xStocks is KuCoin's first crypto securities trading platform, allowing users to invest in global stocks in tokenized form , bridging traditional finance and blockchain.

KuCoin Wallet (Halo Wallet): Decentralized Web3 wallet supporting multi-chain (KCC, Ethereum, BNB Chain, Polygon…), integrating staking, NFT and DeFi in the same application. From 2023, Halo Wallet becomes an independent brand, with strategic investment from KuCoin Labs.

KuCoin Leadership Generations

Tier 1 (2017–2020): Michael Gan and Eric Don laid the technical foundation and core development philosophy, together with Top Lan and the first team of engineers to build the KuCoin exchange to be safe, friendly, and rapidly expanding.

Tier 2 (2021–2023): Under Johnny Lyu, KuCoin expanded into DeFi, NFTs, and Web3, launching KuCoin Community Chain (KCC) , KuCoin Labs , and KuCoin Ventures , solidifying its position in the blockchain investment and infrastructure sectors.

Tier 3 (2024–present): BC Wong becomes global CEO, focusing on compliance and international expansion. At the same time, KuCoin Europe is founded in Austria with a team consisting of Oliver Stauber, Christian Niedermüller, Christian Derler, and Tamara Rubey, aiming to comply with the EU MiCA regulatory framework.

Tokenomics and token allocation

• Project name: KuCoin

• Token: KCS

• Token standard: ERC-20 & KRC-20

• Contract: 0xf34960d9d60be18cc1d5afc1a6f012a723a28811 (ERC-20)

• Token format: Utility & Reward

• Total Supply: 142.27 Million KCS

• Circulating Supply: 129.77 million KCS

KCS (Kucoin Share) is the native token, with an initial supply of 200 million, decreasing through monthly burns (10% of profits). By October 2025, the circulating supply will be around 129.8 million, with a total supply of 142.3 million after 63 burns (September 2025, 83,696 KCS worth 1.04 million USDT will be burned). KCS price is around 14.5-15.1 USD, capitalization ~1.9 billion USD.

Token Allocation

• 50% – For Early Participants

• 32.5% – For the founding team and employees (Founder/Team Allocation)

• 12.5% ​​– For Advisors/Angel Investors

• 5% – Market/Community Rewards

Utilities: 20% fee discount, daily rewards (50% transaction fee for holders ≥6 KCS), staking (APR 2.62%), VIP perks. Target to reduce to 100 million tokens by 2026, forecast price 15-18 USD in 2025.

In addition, Wrapped KuCoin Token (WKCS) is the KRC-20 version of KCS on KuCoin Community Chain, with a 1:1 ratio with KCS. WKCS is used for trading, staking, providing liquidity and paying gas fees in the KCC ecosystem. Helps increase compatibility with DeFi applications and DApps in the ecosystem.

KuCoin Roadmap Q4/2025

• Launch of advanced Options trading, improved AI Trading Bot algorithm.

• Launch KCC DAO 2.0, test RWA (Real World Assets) on KCC.

• SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001:2022 certified.

• Expanding operations in 3 new markets: Latin America, India, Middle East.

• Launch of KuCoin Earn 2.0 – flexible staking + RWA yield.

• User community exceeds 50 million members.

Evaluation and Conclusion

KuCoin is entering a period of strong transformation, from a centralized exchange to a global digital financial ecosystem , combining CeFi - DeFi - AI. With the launch of KCC 3.0, expansion of RWA, and deployment of a series of products such as xStocks, KuCard, KuCoin Pay, the project is reshaping its position not only as a trading place, but also as a Web3 infrastructure center connecting users, developers and digital assets .

By focusing on security, compliance and user experience, KuCoin clearly demonstrates its long-term and sustainable development orientation. In the future, KuCoin is expected to become a bridge between traditional finance and blockchain , playing a pioneering role in the wave of technology, finance and artificial intelligence fusion of the Web3 era.