What Blockchain is KSM on?

Excuse me, could you please clarify which blockchain network Kusama (KSM) operates on? I understand Kusama is a scalable, interoperable, and upgradeable network that serves as a proving ground for Polkadot ecosystem innovations, but I'm curious about the specific blockchain technology it utilizes. Is it built on a similar architecture as Polkadot, or does it employ a different consensus mechanism or architecture? Thank you for your assistance in shedding light on this matter.