Kin is a decentralized cryptocurrency with a built-in incentive scheme that compensates developers for higher usage. It was created with the goal of being easy to integrate across mobile and web apps. Kin-based apps are rewarded for generating engaging cryptocurrency-based user experiences, with more engagement resulting in shared economic rewards for both users and developers. It began as an ERC20 token on the Ethereum blockchain in 2017, but has now transferred to the Solana blockchain, allowing consumer-scale apps to trade quickly and with minimum to no costs. Since its launch, the Kin ecosystem has grown to include over 60 million wallets and has distributed over $70 million in rewards across 60+ apps.The Kin cryptocurrency is used as money within a digital ecosystem of consumer applications and services. It was initially launched as an ERC20 token on the Ethereum blockchain, and was designed to be the main currency in the Kik messenger ecosystem. Kik had initially launched a rewards points system, not a cryptocurrency, called Kik Points that ended in 2017. Kin is short for Kinship, since its aim was to strengthen ties within the Kik community. Kik raised around $100 million dollars in the Kin initial coin offering (ICO) in September 2017. In September 2019, Kik said that it would be shutting down its messaging app in order to fight an ongoing lawsuit with the United States Security and Exchange Commission over whether the Kin ICO sold unregistered securities. In October 2019, MediaLab bought Kik messenger, with the goal of preserving Kin.