Kast review - Spend your stablecoins anywhere
One of the biggest barriers to massive cryptocurrency adoption is real use cases that are accessible to people who are not very experienced using crypto, the so-called "normies".
Yes, there are a bunch of things you can do with your crypto other than just holding it and waiting for "number go up". I know it, you know it, but for the majority of people who are not used to the "mysterious" and, some times, over-complicated ways things work on-chain, there is very little to do beyond trading.
Kast is aiming to change that by creating a stablecoin-powered platform that people can easily access and use to earn and spend stablecoins pretty much anywhere in the world.
Overview
Essentially, at lest for now, Kast is a platform that allows users to order a credit card that they can use to pay for things using stablecoins, more specifically, USDC or USDT.
It does require KYC but the verification is very quick and once you do that you are free to use the platform to its full capacity.
Kast raised some VC money and seems to be making good use of the money. Both their site and mobile app look very professional and offer amazing UX, which rivals anything you may have seen on TradFi.
It's very easy to order and set up a card and, if you opt for a digital one, you can start using it in only a few minutes.
Let's take a closer look in a few specific features
The cards
They offer two type of cards: the KAST original and a Solana card. The main difference between them is that the Solana card also offers a few benefits if you stake SOL with their validator.
Additionally, you can choose from different tiers of cards for each of the two types above. The cheapest one is the digital-only card which is free for 3 months and then costs $20 per year. There is also a physical version of the basic card, which is a heavy plastic card that costs $100 and also more premium cards like the X Card, which is made of metal and costs $1,000 per year and the X Card Founders edition, which will set you back $5,000 but it's a one-time fee.
They are still developing the full list of benefits but, for now, the main difference between the cards is that the higher the tier, the more points you get. More on points in a bit.
All cards are powered by Visa, meaning they are widely accepted.
Airdrop
Kast is planning a Token Generation event (TGE) for late 2025, although they mention in some sessions of the app that this can be pushed to 2026.
Until then, there is a points program where users can earn points by performing actions such as referring other users, paying for stuff with their Kast card and ordering cards from the platform.
Users can earn a percentage of their spending in the form of points. Higher-tiered cards offer higher rates of points per dollar. The cheapest card, the virtual one, for example, currently yields 6% of spending in the form of points.
It's important to note that the point program works on a regressive rewards curve, so early adopters will benefit more in the long run.
My experience with Kast
I've been using the basic KAST virtual card for a few weeks now and my experience has been very positive so far.
As I mentioned before, both their website and the mobile app are incredibly well-made and the UX is awesome. It seems to be very stable, too, and I haven't had any issues yet. All purchases I made so far were processed instantly, just like if I was using a regular FIAT card.
Sending money to your KAST wallet is also fairly easy. If you have any experience with crypto, it's identical to what you would do to transfer assets from one wallet to another.
In terms of acceptance, as I said, it's a Visa card, so it's accepted pretty much everywhere. As far as the vendor is concerned, you are just using a regular credit card and I didn't have any refusals yet.
Final thoughts
KAST is a solid product for those who want to be less dependent on FIAT. It's still a centralized solution which might be a deal breaker to some people but I believe it's a great way to introduce "normies" into the world of crypto.
It's easy to use and provides a user experience very similar to most TradFi products, so people who are not crypto veterans won't feel overwhelmed or intimidated.
If you want to give it a try, all you have to do is click here! But don't take too long because the sooner you get in, the more airdrop points you can earn!
Posted Using INLEO