Overview of the 6th Kusama Auction
PolkaWorld, as a member of the Kusama Council, recently voted to approve Motion 346—officially launching Kusama's sixth parachain slot auction. Here are the key details:
- Auction Duration: 27,000 blocks (~45 hours) with an additional 3-hour winner selection period
- Lease Period: 15 slots beginning September 3
- Candle Phase: 5-day randomized ending period
👉 Discover how to participate in Kusama crowdloans
Current Auction Landscape
Sixteen projects have initiated Crowdloan campaigns on Kusama. According to auction rules, all projects automatically bid using their locked KSM amounts at auction start. As of now, the leading bids are:
- KILT (208,175 KSM)
- Calamari (Manta's canary network, 103,231 KSM)
- Heiko (Parallel's canary network, 32,394 KSM)
- Basilisk (33,868 KSM)
- Altair (Centrifuge's canary network, 30,933 KSM)
Project Breakdowns
KILT Protocol
- Reward Pool: 4.5M KILT tokens
- Hard Cap: 220,000 KSM
- Rewards: ≥25 KILT per 1 KSM (scales inversely with total contributions)
- Governance Note: BOTLabs (developing entity) participates in governance but doesn't share reward allocations
Calamari (Manta Network)
- Reward Pool: Up to 3B KMA tokens (30% of total supply)
Tiered Hard Caps:
- 1st: 100,000 KSM → 1B KMA distributed
- 2nd: 200,000 KSM → 2B KMA
- 3rd: 300,000 KSM → 3B KMA
- Fixed Reward: 10,000 KMA per 1 KSM + early contributor bonuses (up to 10% extra)
Heiko (Parallel Finance)
- Reward Pool: 25M HKO tokens
- Dynamic Allocation: Rewards calculated as (Total HKO Pool) / (Total KSM Contributed)
- Vesting: 1-year linear release post-slot win
Basilisk
Reward Structure:
- 15B BSX tokens (15% supply) + HDX token bonuses (5–30% of LBP price)
- Early contributors receive higher multiplier rewards
- Unique Mechanism: HDX bonuses adjust based on auction position
Altair (Centrifuge)
- Rewards: 400 AIR per 1 KSM + 10% early bonus
- Referral Program: 5% bonus for both referrer and referee
- Vesting: 25% upfront, remainder released linearly over 48 weeks
Strategic Considerations for Contributors
- Timing: Early participation maximizes reward multipliers (e.g., Basilisk’s decreasing bonus)
- Project Viability: Assess technical milestones and community traction
- Risk Diversification: Consider splitting KSM across multiple promising projects
👉 Compare all active Kusama crowdloans
FAQ Section
Q: How are winners selected in Kusama auctions?
A: Kusama uses a modified candle auction format where the winning bid is determined at a random block during the candle phase—simulating traditional candle auction unpredictability.
Q: Can I withdraw my KSM if my supported project loses?
A: Yes! All KSM is returned after lease periods expire or if the project fails to secure a slot.
Q: What’s the difference between "crowdloan" and "direct bid"?
A: Crowdloans pool community KSM for decentralized bidding, while direct bids come from projects’ own treasury funds. Most Kusama auctions prioritize crowdloan participation.
Q: How do I track my rewards?
A: Projects typically provide dashboards post-auction. Always verify official links through Polkadot.js or project GitHub repositories.
Key Takeaways
- This auction features competitive projects with well-structured reward mechanisms
- Tiered hard caps (e.g., Calamari) prevent excessive slot overbidding
- Early contributors gain bonus advantages in most campaigns
For developers:
All crowdloan links should be accessed exclusively via Polkadot.js Apps.