Pengu Card Livestream on X With Raagulan Pathy and Luca

KAST and Pudgy Penguins went live on X to walk through the Pengu Card launch. They started with the early numbers, then explained what it took to build the card, and finally shared what’s coming next.

KAST CEO Raagulan "Raags” Pathy didn’t dance around the demand. He said the waitlist hit 100,000 in the first day, and added that the team checked the list after to filter out botted signups. Then he said what he kept hearing from people: the design does the talking first.

“Forget about all the other benefits. It’s just the card looks so cool.”

That’s the Pengu Card effect. You see it once, and you already want the physical version in your wallet.

From Pudgy Art to a Card You Can Hold

Pudgy led the artistic direction. KAST took that design and turned it into something physical that holds up in real life.

Making a card is not “draw it and ship it.” Raagulan described a process that looks more like product development than printing: prototypes, tweaks, and repeat testing until the final versions feel right. He said KAST went through around 30 prototypes and scrapped most of them to narrow down to the final three variations.

That approach also explains why KAST rarely does partnership cards. Raagulan said brands ask for collabs often, but KAST keeps a high bar because premium physical cards take time and cost real money to do properly.

Why the Physical Pengu Card Changes the Feel

The Pengu Card comes in virtual and physical versions. The virtual card gets you started quickly. The physical card is the one people want to carry and show.

Raagulan said the difference is detail. You can see and feel things that a screen can’t show, like the finish and etching.

“Physicals obviously hook better than the virtual.”

He also kept it practical. The card works anywhere Visa is accepted. When someone joked about Antarctica, he said it would work there too if a Visa terminal exists.

The Daily-Use Detail Raagulan Shared

Later, Raagulan talked about what happens after launch day, when a card becomes part of a routine. He shared a snapshot of KAST usage and said active users average about 50 transactions a month. He added that some users run higher when you include both card payments and in-app actions like stablecoin swaps.

That matters because a card wins when it becomes the default. People don’t “try” it forever. They either adopt it into daily spending or they don’t. The Pengu Card is built for the first outcome.

Where It Works, How It Fits, What Comes Next

Raagulan said KAST covers most regions, while a few markets remain more complex because of local regulations, including Canada and Singapore at the moment. He said the team is working with partners to bring those regions back.

He also said the Pengu Card fits into KAST’s existing tiers: Standard, Premium, and Luxe, with cashback and points aligned for now. If you already have a KAST card, you can add the Pengu Card to your account and choose which card to use for payments, including through Apple Pay.

For the physical rollout, Raagulan said manufacturing has started, KAST has paid for thousands of cards, and delivery should land around April and May depending on production timelines.

The livestream ended on a simple note. The Pengu Card is live in KAST now, and the physical card is already on the way.

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