Kaspa (KAS) Recent Developments
Layer 2 Smart Contracts Launch Marks Major Milestone
Igra Network Layer 2 went live on January 26, 2026, with an EVM-compatible smart contract layer launching on Kaspa mainnet, enabling DeFi and dApps. Igra Network, an EVM-compatible Layer 2, launched its "Galleon phase" mainnet on Kaspa, using Kaspa's miners as decentralized sequencers to order transactions, enabling smart contract functionality without altering Kaspa's base layer protocol, with the network supporting full Solidity compatibility and plans for a permissionless launch in March 2026.
Institutional Liquidity Framework Unveiled
The Kaspa Industrial Initiative unveiled the EigenFlow Market Making Framework on January 27, 2026, a novel system designed for BlockDAGs to improve liquidity efficiency. This development is bullish for Kaspa's ecosystem as it addresses a critical need for sophisticated liquidity provision, with the framework providing tools for institutional-grade market making and laying groundwork for deeper, more stable markets and future enterprise adoption in areas like carbon credit trading and regulated exchanges.
Analyst Recognition as Top Altcoin
Kaspa was highlighted as a top altcoin on February 2, 2026, with analyst articles citing KAS for its high-speed BlockDAG architecture and long-term infrastructure potential. Cryptocurrency analysts including Finance Freeman and other market observers have identified Kaspa as a notable altcoin opportunity in 2026, characterizing it as a "Bitcoin evolution," citing its technical architecture and market positioning.
Current Market Performance
The live Kaspa price today is $0.031526 USD with a 24-hour trading volume of $23,333,632 USD. The token faces near-term headwinds, with Kaspa underperforming the global cryptocurrency market which is up 4.60% in the last 7 days, while underperforming when compared to similar Smart Contract Platform cryptocurrencies which are up 5.80%.
Upcoming Protocol Upgrades
Strategic upgrades in 2026, including the DagKnight consensus enhancement and the ZK L1<>L2 bridge, aim to solidify Kaspa's position as a scalable, privacy-preserving blockchain, with the KaspPathon hackathon offering 200,000 KAS in prizes to further incentivize dApp development.
Community Sentiment and On-Chain Activity
KAS tops crypto sentiment rankings with over 91% bullish outlook, while large wallets bought over 35 million KAS, signaling confidence in a reversal. On-chain data indicates declining Kaspa token balances on cryptocurrency exchanges, suggesting increased movement into self-custody wallets, with analysts interpreting this pattern as indicative of long-term holding behavior rather than active trading activity.