Kava is a Layer-1 blockchain that strives to combine the speed and interoperability of Cosmos with the developer power of Ethereum. Kava's ecosystem is backed by multiple independent international Foundations, which provide protocol-level resources to participants to maintain the health and continued development of decentralized networks and systems. Builders on Kava may receive a share of Kava Rise's developer incentive fund through the program's blockchain-based distribution method.

Kava operates on a Tendermint-based proof-of-stake (POS) consensus mechanism, which uses a network of validator nodes to confirm transactions. These validator nodes must provide collateral to validate transactions. If they fail to meet rigorous minimum requirements or behave dishonestly, their stake will be penalized, incentivizing them to remain honest and efficient. Kava holders may run a staking node to receive KAVA rewards directly from the protocol, although only the top 100 Kava nodes, also known as validators, are eligible to receive these rewards. Kava's smart contracts have been audited by multiple independent blockchain and crypto security firms, ensuring the integrity of the network.

Kava's unique architecture allows for improved interoperability between Cosmos and the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), enabling developers to build in whichever environment they prefer without sacrificing access to users and assets. The on-chain incentive program, Kava Rise, aims to ensure that the builders in the Ethereum and Cosmos ecosystems are properly rewarded for driving growth on Kava. Kava's architecture also enables the flow of users, assets, and projects between Kava and other industry ecosystems at scale, all powered by the Tendermint Core consensus engine.

The KAVA token was first launched in 2019 with an educational event. All vesting KAVA has been unlocked and Kava’s proof-of-stake’s consensus mechanism emits tokens to incentivize validators to secure the network. A portion of emitted tokens are also utilized in initiatives like Kava Rise to further the decentralization, security, and stability of the Kava ecosystem. Kava prioritizes security and decentralization. Today, the Kava blockchain ecosystem is developed by over 100 application protocol teams and is supported by over 100 infrastructure teams.