Kusama is an experimental blockchain platform designed to provide an interoperable and scalable network for developers. Built on Substrate by Parity Technologies, Kusama is similar to Polkadot but offers additional features for fast-paced projects seeking to innovate and experiment. Kusama is a "canary network," serving as a testbed for developers looking to create their own blockchain before launching on Polkadot. The platform features on-chain governance capabilities, a nominated proof-of-stake consensus system, and supports cross-chain message passing. Kusama benefits from a low barrier to entry for deploying parachains and is predominantly built for developers seeking to launch ambitious projects with a fast-evolving pace of development.