Kerne Protocol vs. Kernel Protocol.
Two different projects. Two different chains. Similar token tickers. Here is how to tell them apart.
You are on kerne.fi.
This is Kerne Protocol, a Base-native delta-neutral yield infrastructure. We issue kUSD, a USDC-backed synthetic dollar on Base, hedged with perpetual positions on Hyperliquid.
Kernel Protocol, a separate project, issues a token also called kUSD on Ethereum mainnet. Their kUSD is a Karak-restaking liquid restaking token (LRT) backed by USD-denominated assets restaked on Karak. Different team, different chain, different mechanism. If you were looking for them, their canonical site is kernelprotocol.com.
We have no affiliation with Kernel Protocol, no shared infrastructure, and no shared team. The token tickers happen to overlap because both teams arrived at the same three-letter compression of their project name. This page exists so that anyone arriving on kerne.fi by mistake can confirm which project they actually meant and click through to the right place.
Quick comparison.
| Attribute | Kerne Protocol (this site) | Kernel Protocol (different project) |
|---|---|---|
| Website | kerne.fi | kernelprotocol.com |
| Chain | Base (chain 8453) | Ethereum mainnet (chain 1) |
| Category | Delta-neutral synthetic dollar | Karak-native liquid restaking token |
| Backing | USDC 1:1 via on-chain PSM, hedged perp short on Hyperliquid | USD-denominated assets (USDC, USDT, sFRAX, USDe, sDAI) restaked on Karak |
| Governance token | $KERNE | $KERN |
| @KerneProtocol | (see kernelprotocol.com) | |
| kUSD contract | 0x5C2EfdF0D8D286959b42308966bc2B97f5680AA3 (Base) | 0x0bB9aB78aAF7179b7515e6753d89822b91e670C4 (Ethereum) |
How to verify you are on Kerne Protocol.
- Browser URL begins with https://kerne.fi or https://app.kerne.fi.
- Our canonical X (Twitter) handle is @KerneProtocol.
- Our kUSD token resolves on BaseScan (chain 8453) at 0x5C2EfdF0D8D286959b42308966bc2B97f5680AA3.
- Our live PSM (Peg Stability Module) on Base is 0xaBDE1138aa1Ce88d1dF06422C0c3b05D70569803.
- Our kUSD does not exist on Ethereum mainnet. If you find a kUSD on Etherscan, it belongs to a different protocol.
How to verify you are looking at Kernel Protocol.
- Their canonical site is kernelprotocol.com.
- Their docs live on GitBook at kernel-protocol.gitbook.io.
- Their kUSD token is on Ethereum mainnet at 0x0bB9aB78aAF7179b7515e6753d89822b91e670C4.
- Their kUSD is a Karak-native LRT, not a delta-neutral synthetic dollar. If your context involved Karak restaking or liquid restaking tokens, you wanted them.
Related disambiguation.
A separate project called KernelDAO operates on BNB Chain and has its own token also called kUSD. Their stablecoin is reward-bearing and unrelated to both Kerne Protocol and Kernel Protocol. We have a dedicated comparison at /not-kerneldao if that is the project you were looking for.
A third token, K Dollar by Bankcoin Capital, reports the kUSD ticker on Base itself. That is the one collision this page's method does not resolve, because comparing chain IDs cannot separate two tokens on the same chain. If you are about to swap on Base, the address is the only reliable check: /which-kusd-on-base.
If you were looking for Kerne Protocol.
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