kin

Kin is a word with several senses in English. Most commonly, it refers to one’s family and relatives, or the broader network of people connected by blood, marriage, or adoption. In legal contexts, “next of kin” identifies the closest living relative entitled to certain rights or responsibilities. The term derives from Old English cynn, meaning family or lineage.

In anthropology and sociology, kinship describes the social bonds that link individuals within a family tree. Kinship systems define roles, obligations, and rights, influence patterns of residence and inheritance, and vary widely among cultures. Concepts such as consanguinity (blood relations) and affinity (related by marriage) are used to analyze kin networks. Kin terms—words used to designate relatives—also vary cross-culturally and reflect social organization.

Kin also refers to a modern digital asset: the Kin cryptocurrency. Created by the messaging company Kik Interactive, Kin was intended to power an in-app economy across digital services. It began as an ERC-20 token on the Ethereum blockchain and later evolved into a community-driven Kin Ecosystem. The project has been subject to regulatory scrutiny from authorities such as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Despite these developments, Kin remains in use within participating apps as a means of rewards and transactions.

See also: Kinship, Next of kin, Cryptocurrencies.