Over the past few months, you may have noticed us talking about our new project, Kin, on our social channels and on our blog. And you may be thinking, “Well, what is Kin? And how will it change my experience on Kik?” Both are great questions, and we’re here today to answer them!

Kin is a new digital currency created by Kik. It’s similar to other digital currencies you may be familiar with, like Kik Points, where you were able to earn points for watching video ads and redeem points for stickers and custom emojis. Other apps also use digital currency. For example, Candy Crush Gold Bars are used to buy gold and then redeem gold for game boosters within the Candy Crush game.

Kin is a little different from these examples, however, because it is a cryptocurrency. It has real monetary value (AKA it can be exchanged for dollars). Additionally, Kin is a currency intended for future use in other services and apps, not just Kik. It is an application of the public blockchain (similar to Bitcoin).

Soon you’ll be able to earn Kin by contributing to the Kik community. For example, taking surveys, participating in polls, engaging with brands, creating cool content and promoting social causes are all ways you’ll be able to earn Kin. Once you have a wallet full of this digital currency, you can redeem Kin for a variety of goods and services inside of Kik like in-game goods, stickers, experiences like concerts or services like ordering food.

TL;DR? Kin is a new way for you to earn and redeem in Kik in exchange for cool content and experiences. You’ll start to see Kin within the Kik app over the next few months and we can’t wait to hear what you think of it. Visit kik.com/kin for more information and to sign up for updates.