KiiChain
KiiChain (branded as Kii) is a Layer-1 blockchain and an onchain foreign-exchange (FX) orchestration layer built for 24/7 currency conversion, cross-border payments, and settlement across emerging markets. Established in 2023 and Colombian-founded, the project is built with the Cosmos SDK and is compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), and it positions itself as an FX settlement layer for stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets (RWAs).[1][2] Its core design connects global dollar stablecoin liquidity, such as USDT and USDC, with locally denominated, non-dollar stablecoins and markets so that currency pairs that traditionally have liquidity only during business hours can be traded around the clock.[3] KiiChain operates non-custodially, with users retaining self-custody of their assets throughout transactions.[4]
Overview and Purpose
KiiChain describes itself as an onchain FX desk that powers global payments, trading, and finance in a single platform, usable by individuals, businesses, and builders who either sign up for an account or connect through application programming interfaces (APIs).[6] The project's stated distinguishing approach is a hybrid model of sourcing liquidity while maintaining balances onchain that are exposed to local currencies, which it contrasts with traditional platforms.[1] Through this model, KiiChain supports cross-border payments, remittances, trade settlement, fiat swaps, and payins and payouts, priced in local non-dollar stablecoins and other tokenized real-world assets.[3]
The project maintains a strong focus on Latin America and other emerging markets, and the team has stated its early priority is building real financial infrastructure for the region.[2] Its X account lists its location as "Latinoamérica," and its documentation and code repositories close with the slogan "Building the future of finance for emerging markets."[5][7] The company states that a defining feature of its design is that regulatory compliance is "baked into the protocol layer" rather than added afterward, and that users must complete applicable Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) requirements, with the platform operating only where permitted by applicable law and, where required, through locally licensed partners.[2][3]
Technology and Architecture
KiiChain is a proof-of-stake (PoS) Layer-1 blockchain built with the Cosmos SDK, an open-source framework for building multi-asset public proof-of-stake blockchains composed of composable, capabilities-based modules that enable native interoperability with other chains.[3] Under proof-of-stake, validators are selected based on the number of tokens they hold and stake as collateral, and individual token holders, known as delegators, can delegate their tokens to a validator that meets the network's requirements.[3] The company states the network achieves roughly one-second block finality and throughput of up to 12,000 transactions per second, though these figures are presented as project claims.[2][7]
Consensus and Execution
The network's consensus is powered by CometBFT (Comet BFT), described in the documentation as the upgraded version of Tendermint Core and the Interchain's consensus mechanism for Cosmos SDK blockchains.[3] Its modular architecture separates the consensus engine from the application layer, which the company associates with fast finality and high throughput.[3] KiiChain also includes an EVM module that provides mirrored EVM compatibility, allowing smart contracts to be deployed in Solidity and existing Ethereum decentralized applications (dApps) to run without changes; developers can use tools such as MetaMask and Hardhat.[3][2] Alongside Solidity, the network supports CosmWasm smart contracts written in Rust.[2] KiiChain also uses precompiled contracts crafted to allow EVM interaction with Cosmos SDK functionality, including an Oracle Precompile that provides access to real-time exchange-rate data and time-weighted average prices (TWAPs) for different denominations.[8]
The chain ships with several custom modules: an Oracle for price feeds, Gas Abstraction (also referred to as Fee Abstraction) for smoother fees, Utility Rewards, and a Token Factory for creating new assets.[2][8]
Interoperability
KiiChain supports Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC), a protocol for cross-chain communication and data transfer that connects different blockchain networks. The documentation states that over 100 networks are integrated into IBC, and the project claims connectivity to more than 100 blockchain ecosystems.[3][2] For asset movement, the company states that KII can be bridged between KiiChain and supported chains via Hyperlane.[9]
Hybrid Matching Engine
At the core of the platform is what KiiChain calls a hybrid matching engine, which combines centralized and decentralized components. It sources onchain liquidity across any blockchain ecosystem while using centralized pricing to hedge and rebalance onchain positions, a combination the company says produces an "ultra-liquid layer" able to operate 24/7 on pairs that otherwise have liquidity only during traditional business hours.[3][6] The engine is presented on the platform in three parts: centralized FX pricing that offers wholesale rates and deep liquidity through a user interface and developer APIs; decentralized onchain swaps executed directly through KiiChain's multi-chain smart contracts with prices the company describes as guaranteed and slippage-free; and cross-border payments settled with finality using local fiat stablecoins across more than 50 countries.[4]
Complementing the engine is a full suite of on
- and off-ramps that enable instant payins and payouts through both the user interface and APIs, dispersing funds directly or to third-party accounts. The company states these ramps are available only where permitted by applicable law and, where required, are delivered through licensed issuers and distributors, with availability differing by jurisdiction.[3] All centralized and decentralized functions are exposed through a single unified set of APIs.[3]
RWA Protocol
KiiChain's real-world asset tokenization is built around the T-REX (Token for Regulated EXchanges) standard, implemented with CosmWasm smart contracts on KiiChain that are simultaneously mirrored to ERC tokens, and closely tied to the ERC-3643 standard for permissioned security tokens.[3][2] Beyond token standards, the protocol defines onchain KYC, Know Your Business (KYB), and asset verification, so that security tokens must confirm the receiver is an approved, KYC'd participant, enforce transfer restrictions, and maintain an auditable trail.[3][2] The company describes the result as an interoperable, unified liquidity layer for RWA tokens, supported by Rust and JavaScript/TypeScript software development kits (SDKs) for building on the protocol.[3][8]
KII Token
KII is the native token of KiiChain, trading under the ticker KII. The company announced on August 14 that "$KII IS LIVE," stating that the native asset was officially live and trading.[5] The token launched at its token generation event (TGE) and began trading on decentralized venues such as PancakeSwap.[2] KiiChain has a fixed maximum supply of 1.8 billion KII, with approximately 312 million KII in circulation at the time of reporting; new tokens enter circulation on a schedule tied to staking rewards, ecosystem incentives, and vesting unlocks.[2]
KII serves multiple functions across the network. It is used to pay gas fees for transactions and is the only token eligible for staking, validation, and delegation, functioning as the network's security bond.[2] It is also used for governance voting on protocol decisions and underpins protocol charges and liquidity-incentive programs.[2] The documentation frames the token's value as derived from its utility rather than from speculation.[10] A security assessment by the blockchain auditor CertiK gave KiiChain a rating reported as around 3.9 out of 5 at the time of writing.[2]
Products and Services
KiiChain's live capabilities center on FX conversion and payments delivered through one flow, allowing a user to move from a currency they hold to the currency they need without using multiple providers.[5] On September 10 the company launched a trade page in the KiiChain app that displays the pair, rate, fee, and total before a trade is committed, with settlement executed onchain.[5] The company operates an over-the-counter (OTC) desk that it says provides institutional-grade liquidity, competitive pricing, and personalized service for high-volume transactions across emerging fiat currencies.[4]
A live example of the network's RWA and FX ambitions is COPM, described as a fully collateralized Colombian peso stablecoin issued by Minteo and audited by BDO, which the project describes as its flagship real-world product.[2] The platform also references local fiat currencies including the Colombian peso, Argentine peso, Mexican peso, and Brazilian real.[4]
Several additional consumer and business products are advertised as forthcoming. The company has said it plans to launch an onchain debit card, in physical and virtual forms, powered by its FX rails; swaps and payments across more than 50 countries at interbank rates; native yield vaults for idle capital without lock-ups; non-secured credit granted without collateral through onchain reputation, transaction history, and a module the company calls CrediFi; US virtual accounts letting businesses send and receive USD payments globally with compliance and instant settlement; and autonomous AI FX agents that execute trades and settle cross-border payments in real time.[4]
Ecosystem and Development
KiiChain invites developers to connect applications and dApps to its onchain FX layer and maintains a Developer Hub for building on the network.[4][8] The production network is identified as kiichain_1783-1 with an EVM chain ID of 1783, used for mainnet deployments and validator operations.[9] The project's code is hosted in the KiiChain/kiichain repository, created on April 8, 2025, and licensed under Apache 2.0; the repository holds 150 stars and 124 forks and includes code in Go, Solidity, Python, Shell, and other languages, with jhelison, Thaleszh, and mattkii among its top contributors.[7] The full-node software, kiichaind, requires Go 1.24.11 or higher, with a recommended setup of 16 GB RAM, a 2 TB NVMe SSD, and 8 cores running Linux.[7]
Development is carried out on Testnet Oro, described as KiiChain's final upgraded, permanent public testnet before mainnet, which runs incentivization programs and supports EVM and Cosmos wallets such as MetaMask and Keplr.[11][9] Users can obtain up to 2,500 testnet tokens within a 24-hour period from a Discord faucet or the Explorer App, using commands such as $request to request tokens and $balance to query an address, then stake them by delegating to an active validator.[11] Before the TGE, the project ran Testnet Oro as an incentivized campaign in which users earned $ORO points convertible into liquid KII to bootstrap the community.[2] Ecosystem growth has also come through community hackathons producing projects such as the Kalo DeFi hub, alongside localized airdrops and competitions promoted through community platforms including Galxe, Zealy, TaskOn, and QuestN.[2][11]
The project describes a "purpose-built ecosystem" of dApps and infrastructure partners. Interoperability partners include Hyperlane, Union, Euclid Protocol, Rhino.fi, Tria, and Rome, while security and compliance are covered by Hacken, an end-to-end blockchain security partner, and Elliptic, which provides blockchain analytics and crypto compliance.[4] RWA and stablecoin-focused integrations include Byzanlink for regulated asset tokenization, Minteo as a stablecoin settlement layer for Latin America, Zabio for LATAM stablecoins, Decentral for the creative economy, Wise Lending and RWA World for real-world asset lending and trading on KiiChain, and Rift for Bitcoin settlement.[4] Emerging-markets finance and credit partners include Wy Crédito, which provides AI-powered credit and microcredit in Colombia, and Mansa Finance, which offers financing for businesses in emerging markets, alongside ZigChain.[4]
Clients and Institutional Adoption
KiiChain states it is trusted by enterprise clients and provides liquidity and trading solutions to more than 350 institutional clients. It breaks this down into more than five financial institutions, over 300 corporate clients including importers and exporters, more than 20 remittance companies, and over 30 trading firms.[4] On September 8, the company announced the addition of two major banks to its 24/7 Latin American FX network, stating that the onboarding included the state-owned Banco Agrario.[5] The same announcement carried the company's claims of more than $500 million in processed volume and a target of up to $10 million in daily transactions.[5]
Funding
KiiChain lists two investors, Nimbus Capital and Kahuna.[1] The project is Colombian-founded, with an early focus on building financial infrastructure for Latin America.[2]
