Coin columns · Mainnet Province
KuCoin Token (KCS): From Exchange Fee Discount to a Chain’s Own Coin
The KuCoin exchange’s token and fee coin of the KCC chain
KCS is the in-house token of the KuCoin crypto exchange, launched in 2017. It is used for exchange perks such as fee discounts and serves as the fee coin of the KuCoin Community Chain (KCC).
1. A token made by an exchange
KuCoin is a crypto exchange that opened in 2017, co-founded by Chun Gan and Ke Tang; its operator, Peken Global, is registered in the Seychelles. KCS was issued at launch as an ERC-20 token (a standard token on Ethereum), with total supply set at 200 million. Such exchange tokens tie their value and uses closely to how the issuing company is run.
KuCoin has said it plans to burn (permanently delete) KCS until the supply reaches 100 million. On the Crypto Nation map, KCS is the city-hall tower of Mainnet Province, the area for standalone layer-1 chains, because it is also the base coin of the KCC chain.
2. From fee discounts to chain fuel
On the exchange, KCS is linked to trading-fee discounts, holder bonuses (a scheme that shares part of fee income) and event access. The terms follow KuCoin’s announcements, not rules anyone can verify on a blockchain, and change often.
KCS is also the fee coin of the KuCoin Community Chain, KCC, which opened in June 2021. KCC is EVM-compatible (apps built for Ethereum can be moved over), and KCS can cross from Ethereum to it through a bridge to pay gas (transaction fees). KuCoin has also announced upgrade plans for KCC’s performance and scalability.
3. Uses and milestones
KCS is used for discounts and perks on KuCoin and for fees on apps running on KCC. KuCoin offers spot and futures trading and savings products, and how KCS perks apply to each depends on its announcements.
Key dates: the exchange and KCS in 2017, a hack in September 2020, and KCC in June 2021. In the hack a large amount left the exchange’s hot wallets (wallets kept online), but KuCoin said it recovered much of it and covered users’ funds.
4. Things to know
KuCoin has had several regulatory problems. A 2023 lawsuit by the New York attorney general ended in a December settlement that barred New York users. In January 2025 its operator pleaded guilty in the US to running an unlicensed money-transmitting business (moving customers’ money for them) and lacking an anti-money-laundering program, and agreed to pay large penalties and stay out of the US for at least two years. Because exchanges are regulated themselves, access can depend on where users live.
Burn plans and bonuses are set by the company, which can change them. KCC is closely tied to KuCoin, so it is not as decentralized as large independent chains. If the exchange changed policy or closed, KCS would lose much of its use, and assets left on any exchange are exposed to hacks.
Written from information public up to October 2026. It does not recommend or rate any coin and is not investment advice. If something is wrong, please tell us through the contact page.