Astar
astrWhat is Astar?
Astar is a Substrate-based blockchain connected to the Polkadot ecosystem, identified on the Astar chain by native token ASTR. The current Astar Collective presents ASTR as its economic and governance token: it is used for network transactions, dApp Staking, governance and ecosystem applications. The Astar Portal, dApp Staking and Governance are live, while AstarFi is marked in development and Astar Guard upcoming.
ASTR should not be confused with WASTR. WASTR is an ERC-20-compatible wrapped representation of native ASTR for EVM contracts. Astar documents an official Foundation-deployed WASTR contract and a separate community legacy contract; these are wrapper contracts, not a replacement for the native Astar asset.
What problem does Astar solve?
Astar addresses the need for a programmable application chain that can host smart contracts and connect to other networks while using Polkadot's shared-security and interoperability model. The official documentation supports both EVM smart contracts and WASM smart contracts, while the Polkadot Wiki describes parachains as application-specific chains that can communicate through XCM.
Its token layer also addresses an ecosystem-incentive problem. Astar's dApp Staking mechanism directs part of block-inflation rewards to supported application operators and participating stakers. That is an onchain incentive design, not a promise of a fixed return or a legal claim on a project's revenue.
How does Astar work?
ASTR is the native token used for fees and onchain activity on Astar Network. Holders can participate in governance by submitting, endorsing or voting on proposals; conviction voting can lock tokens and increase voting weight. dApp Staking lets holders support curated applications, with rewards sourced from the network's staking/inflation mechanism and subject to current protocol rules.
Astar's current token page says Tokenomics 3.0 went live in March 2026, lowering the inflation ceiling and using emission decay to converge toward a supply cap of about 10 billion ASTR. The Subscan explorer reported total issuance of 8,748,410,120 when checked. Governance documentation also describes privileged councils, a technical committee and root-origin actions, including emergency Safe Mode and maintenance controls. The exact current authority set is therefore a runtime/governance question, not an ERC-20 owner-key assumption. WASTR is separately governed by its wrapper contracts and should be checked independently.
Key facts
- Astar's canonical asset is native ASTR on the Astar Substrate/Polkadot parachain; WASTR is a separate wrapped ERC-20-compatible representation.
- Astar's live products include Astar Portal, dApp Staking and onchain Governance; AstarFi is in development and Astar Guard is upcoming.
- The official ASTR page says Tokenomics 3.0 went live in March 2026, with emission decay, roughly 4% current inflation and long-term convergence toward a supply cap of about 10 billion ASTR.
- Subscan's Astar explorer reported total issuance of 8,748,410,120 and identifies Astar's Polkadot Para ID as 2006.
- ASTR holders can submit, endorse and vote on governance proposals; voting may lock tokens under conviction voting.
- Astar dApp Staking distributes inflation-funded rewards between supported dApp operators and stakers; the current documentation notes a maximum of 16 reward-eligible dApps per era under Tokenomics 3.0.
- The official WASTR documentation lists 0x37795fdd8c165cab4d6c05771d564d80439cd093 as the Foundation-deployed WASTR contract and identifies 0xAeaaf0e2c81Af264101B9129C00F4440cCF0F720 as a separate legacy community implementation.
- Governance documentation describes council, technical-committee and root-origin privileges, including emergency maintenance and Safe Mode; those controls are distinct from rights conveyed by simply holding ASTR.
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Frequently asked questions
Is ASTR the same token as WASTR?
No. ASTR is the native Astar Network asset. WASTR is an ERC-20-compatible wrapped version used by EVM applications. Astar documents two WASTR implementations, including an official Foundation deployment and a separate legacy community contract.
What rights does an ASTR holder have?
ASTR holders can submit, endorse and vote on Astar governance proposals, and can stake to support eligible dApps. These are protocol participation rights. Holding ASTR is not evidence of equity, a contractual revenue share, a reserve claim or ownership of Astar products.
What is live on Astar today?
Astar's current product pages mark the Portal, dApp Staking and Governance as live. Yoki Arcade and Yoki Legacy are also marked live. AstarFi is marked in development and Astar Guard upcoming, so those should not be described as deployed products.
What is Astar's supply model?
The official token page says Tokenomics 3.0 is live from March 2026, with emission decay, a reduced inflation ceiling and long-term convergence toward about 10 billion ASTR. The explorer reported 8,748,410,120 total issuance at the time checked. Supply figures can change and should be rechecked onchain.
Can ASTR be used in smart contracts?
Native ASTR is the chain asset. For EVM contracts, Astar documents WASTR wrappers with 1:1 ASTR backing and separate contract addresses. Users must verify the chain and exact contract address before interacting.
Who can change or pause Astar?
Astar's governance documentation describes token-holder referenda alongside Main Council, Technical Committee and root-origin privileges. It specifically documents emergency maintenance and Safe Mode controls. This does not establish that one ERC-20 owner can arbitrarily freeze native ASTR; runtime governance and current onchain authority should be checked for any live operation.
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