# MINA-USD · catalysts, narrative & risks

**Deep-research report — K3vl4r**  
**Symbols:** MINA-USD  
**Sources:** 11  
**Published:** 2026-08-22  
**Canonical:** https://app.k3vl4r.com/research/deep-research-mina-usd-catalysts-narrative-risks-2451

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## What MINA-USD is (quick context)

MINA-USD is Mina Protocol's native Layer 1 token priced in US dollars. MINA is a native L1 blockchain (no contract address), developed by o1Labs, that maintains a constant ~22 KB chain via recursive zk-SNARKs and supports zkApps built with the TypeScript-based o1js framework [[5]](https://www.ainvest.com/news/mina-mina-mesa-upgrade-live-price-23-weekly-chain-activity-follow-2609/), [[9]](https://minaprotocol.com/blog/welcome-to-mesa). It was founded by Evan Shapiro and Izaak Meckler in 2021 and is operated by the Mina Foundation [DOC-1]. As of Oct 21, 2026, it trades near $0.072 (+2.52% 24h) and ranks ~#342 in market cap (our data).

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