KuCoin Coming after our contract and holder checks finish for this coin. See the Scorecard for every call so far.
What it is
KCS is the token of KuCoin, a large crypto exchange based outside the United States. It was created in 2017 and was originally marketed as a profit-sharing token. Holders who keep at least 6 KCS on the exchange receive a daily payout funded by a share of KuCoin's trading fee revenue, along with discounts on trading fees and access to token launch events on the platform.
The maximum supply was set at 200 million KCS. KuCoin buys back and burns tokens each quarter, funded by a share of its profits, and says it plans to keep burning until 100 million remain. About 137 million KCS were in circulation as of August 2026.
The exchange has faced serious legal trouble in the United States. In January 2025 KuCoin pleaded guilty to running an unlicensed money-transmitting business and agreed to pay close to $300 million in penalties. As part of the deal, it agreed to stay out of the U.S. market for at least two years, and its founders agreed to step away from running the company during that period. KuCoin also suffered a large hack in 2020.
What can go wrong
- KCS depends entirely on KuCoin; legal action, a hack or falling trading volume would hit the token directly.
- KuCoin pleaded guilty in the U.S. and is barred from serving U.S. customers, which also limits where KCS can be used.
- The daily payout depends on holding KCS on the exchange itself, meaning you take on exchange custody risk to receive it.
- Burn amounts and fee sharing are set by the company and can be changed or ended.
The daily KCS payout only comes if your coins sit on KuCoin, so weigh that reward against the risk of keeping funds on an exchange.
Safety checks
- Track recordGoodTrading since 2017, about 9 years. It has been through at least one full market cycle.
- Trading activityCaution$12.4 million traded in the last 24 hours, 1.2% of its market value. That's thin for its size: big holders selling could move the price more than you'd expect.
- Coins still to comeGood139.7 million of 142.2 million total coins are in circulation, so about 2% are still to be released. Little new supply is left to hit the market. There is no fixed maximum, so new coins can keep being created.
- Distance from its peakCautionDown 74% from its all-time high of $28.83 in December 2021. Many buyers from the peak are still underwater, and they often sell into any rally.
- Past yearFor context−44.7% over the past year, against −25.3% for bitcoin. It has done worse than simply holding bitcoin.
- Tied to one companyCautionThis is KuCoin's own token. Its value depends on that company's business and decisions, and if the exchange runs into trouble the token usually falls first. FTX's token lost almost all its value within days when FTX collapsed in 2022.
History of trouble and big events
- Sep 2020: KuCoin was hacked for roughly $280 million; much of it was recovered or frozen, and the exchange covered user losses.
- Jan 27, 2025: KuCoin pleaded guilty to U.S. charges and agreed to nearly $300 million in penalties and a two-year U.S. exit.
Holding a token on a smaller network, or got sent one you don't recognize? Run its address through the free checker. Copycat tokens often borrow big names.