Polkadot has undoubtedly become one of the more popular projects in the cryptocurrency field.  However, one of the most innovative aspects of its ecosystem is Kusama, Polkadot’s canary network.

While new blockchain projects can seem extremely repetitive and derivative, Kusama stands out as it is genuinely useful.

This guide aims to answer some of the following questions about Kusama: What it is, what it can do, and what risks are inherent with a canary network.

Overview of Kusama

Before we dive in, we need to establish two key items:  Polkadot and a “canary network.” To recap, Polkadot (DOT) is a blockchain network that:

• Connects blockchains to each other
• Enables users to easily build a blockchain with their Substrate framework
• Hosts blockchains, handling their security and transactions
• Bridges blockchains on Polkadot with other networks such as Ethereum and Bitcoin