What is KAITO?
Kaito is a company that uses AI to search and summarize crypto information from social media, forums and research, and runs creator-marketing and token-sale platforms. KAITO is its token on the Base network, used for staking, governance and priority in some Kaito programs.
Utility Lens
What KAITO actually does
Gives holders a say and priority in Kaito's programs, such as token-sale allocations and creator campaigns, rather than paying for any network service.
- Real-world usage
- speculativeKaito's products have real users, but the token's main use case ended with Yaps in January 2026 and its replacement role is still being defined, so most token activity is trading.
- Token necessity
- optionalKaito Pro, Studio and the Launchpad all work without KAITO; holding it only adds staking perks and priority.
- Decentralization
- centralizedA single company builds and runs every product and decides what the token is used for.
- Track record
- developingThe token launched in February 2025, and its central use case was shut down less than a year later.
What it’s used for
Investors and analysts pay for Kaito Pro, an AI search terminal for crypto. Until January 2026, many users posted on X to earn points in Kaito's Yaps program, which X effectively ended by banning apps that pay people to post. Kaito now runs Kaito Studio, a selective brand-creator marketplace, a Capital Launchpad for token sales that uses USDC, and attention markets built with Polymarket. KAITO holders can stake for priority in some of these programs.
Role of the KAITO token:
Evidence of real use
- Kaito said on January 15, 2026 that it would sunset Yaps and its incentivized leaderboards after X banned apps that reward users for posting; the token fell about 17%. Source
- KAITO is an ERC-20 token on Base with a 1 billion maximum supply, and Capital Launchpad purchases use USDC on Base with mandatory KYC. Source
- KAITO's token sale and exchange listings took place on February 20, 2025. Source
The AI angle
- AI role
- AI-themed (no direct AI function)
- What actually happens
- Kaito uses large language models inside its centralized search product to index and summarize crypto information, and that product is genuinely AI-powered. The KAITO token does not pay for, run or verify any AI work; it is used for staking, governance and priority in Kaito's programs. Its AI label reflects the company's product, not the token's function.
How KAITO works
Kaito's main product, Kaito Pro, is a search engine built for crypto. It indexes sources such as X posts, governance forums, research reports, podcasts and conference transcripts, and uses large language models to summarize and rank what people are discussing. Subscribers, often funds and analysts, use it to track sentiment and how much attention, or mindshare, a project gets. All of this runs on Kaito's own servers; there is no decentralized network behind it.
The KAITO token launched in February 2025 with an airdrop to people who had earned Yaps points by posting about crypto on X. In January 2026, X changed its developer rules to ban apps that pay users to post, citing a flood of low-quality AI-generated replies. Kaito shut down Yaps and replaced it with Kaito Studio, where brands hand-pick creators for paid campaigns across X, YouTube and TikTok.
Today KAITO can be staked, as sKAITO, for governance votes and for priority in programs such as Capital Launchpad, Kaito's merit-based token-sale platform where purchases are made in USDC. A broader rewards system called gKAITO was previewed before the Yaps shutdown, but its final design was still pending afterward. Kaito has said the token will keep a role in Studio, so its long-term purpose depends on decisions the company has not yet finalized.
Key moments
- 2022Yu Hu founds Kaito in Seattle.
- 2025The KAITO token launches on February 20 with an airdrop to Yaps participants.
- 2026X bans pay-to-post apps in January, and Kaito sunsets Yaps.
- 2026Kaito Studio launches in beta in February, and attention markets built with Polymarket follow.
Supply
KAITO has a fixed maximum supply of 1 billion tokens. Only part of that supply circulates, and the rest unlocks on monthly schedules for the team, investors, ecosystem and foundation, so circulating supply keeps rising.
Risks to understand
- The token's main demand driver, Yaps, was shut down after a policy change by X, showing how much the project depends on another company's platform.
- The token's future role is still being defined, so its utility could change or shrink.
- Ongoing monthly unlocks add to circulating supply.
- A single company controls the products and the token's use cases.
KAITO FAQ
What happened to Kaito Yaps?
Kaito shut down Yaps on January 15, 2026, after X banned apps that pay users to post. Kaito Studio replaced it with a selective, brand-chosen creator marketplace.
Do I need KAITO to use Kaito Pro?
No. Kaito Pro is a subscription product, and the token is not required to use it.
Which blockchain is KAITO on?
KAITO is an ERC-20 token on Base, the Ethereum layer 2 network incubated by Coinbase.
Sources
- Kaito to sunset 'Yaps' as X cracks down on InfoFi apps, token falls 17% — CoinDesk via Yahoo Finance
- What Is Kaito? 2026 Guide to Studio, Markets & KAITO Token — CoinGecko
- KAITO Token Whitepaper — Revolut
- Kaito winds down crypto-backed 'Yaps' as X bans payments for 'AI slop' — Cointelegraph via TradingView
Last reviewed October 4, 2026 by The Crypto Guide editorial team. Utility Lens ratings are editorial judgments, not investment advice. Market data from CoinGecko. Spot an error? Request a correction.