Astar Foundation Forward: Sustainable Growth Through Transparent Action

[Maarten]

Introduction

This post establishes the “Astar Foundation Forward” initiative, a structured approach to communicate the optimization measures the Astar Foundation is implementing across the ecosystem.

We recognize that the current ASTR token price is a concern shared by our community. We believe transparent communication about our actions is essential. This thread serves as the central source of truth for all Foundation optimization efforts.

The Astar Foundation is already taking action. Work on this initiative has begun, and this thread will be updated regularly as we implement concrete measures on matters within our control.

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Understanding the Challenge

Current market conditions have impacted token valuations across the broader crypto ecosystem. While external factors such as market sentiment, macroeconomy and trading dynamics influence short-term price movements, we have identified structural elements within our direct control that can prevent further pressure on our token.

The pressure on ASTR can come from two primary sources:

• Token Emissions (Inflation) : New tokens entering circulation through network mechanisms, including staker rewards, dApp rewards, collator rewards, and treasury allocations.
• Operational Expenses: Payments from onchain treasury or Astar Foundation for ecosystem operations, governance bodies, infrastructure services, tooling providers, and community initiatives.

While we cannot control broader market conditions or individual holder decisions, we can and will take action in areas that fall under Astar Foundation oversight and the governance bodies we are part of.

Scope of This Initiative

This initiative focuses exclusively on areas where the Astar Foundation can take direct action or coordinate with governance bodies to implement changes.

Areas within scope:

• Treasury management and expense efficiency
• Governance body operations and compensation structures
• Infrastructure cost optimization & tooling expenses
• dApp Staking and collator reward mechanisms
• Tokenomics parameter evaluation (inflation)
• Other expenses related to Astar operations (Marketing, BD, legal, etc.)

Areas outside this scope:

This initiative does not address demand-side factors or attempt to influence market dynamics directly. Our focus is on responsible resource management and reducing unnecessary token outflows or expenses from sources we control or can influence.

Important clarification: This initiative is not about terminating or slowing down operations on Astar. It focuses solely on resource management and a careful reevaluation of expenses to preserve our runway and reduce selling pressure on the token. Since our industry is influenced by external market conditions, adjusting our spending and resource strategy is the most sustainable way to continue operating long term. With broader market activity slowing down, now is the right time to optimize our costs and resource allocation.

Our Approach

We are taking a structured, phased approach to optimization. Not all actions can be implemented immediately. Some require governance proposals, council coordination, or technical implementation through protocol upgrades.

Our guiding principles:

• Transparency over promises: We will communicate actions as they are taken, not before. This thread will be updated with concrete progress rather than speculative commitments.
• Optimization, not austerity: Our goal is efficient resource allocation that maximizes value delivered to the ecosystem. Every ASTR spent should contribute meaningfully to Astar’s growth and sustainability.
• Collaborative governance: The Astar Foundation is coordinating this initiative in collaboration with all governance bodies, including the Astar Community Council, the Astar Finance Committee, the Main Council, and the Technical Committee. Changes to protocol parameters will follow proper governance processes and community approval.

Focus Areas

The Foundation has identified the following categories for optimization, ordered by implementation complexity:

• Immediate Focus: Treasury and Operational Expenses, review of all recurring costs, infrastructure services, and treasury-funded initiatives to ensure alignment with ecosystem priorities and clear return on investment.

• Short-Term Focus:

  • Governance Body Efficiency: Evaluation of compensation structures and operational efficiency across councils and community programs, in coordination with ACC, AFC, Main Council, and Technical Committee.
  • Network Emission Parameters: Assessment of collator rewards, dApp Staking tier allocations, and related tokenomics parameters. These changes require governance proposals and will be addressed through proper channels, potentially as part of Tokenomics 3.0 implementation.

Progress Reports

The Astar Foundation commits to publishing progress reports on this initiative. The Foundation will consolidate updates on optimization efforts to provide clear visibility into what is being achieved and share this progress with the entire community.

What each progress report will include:

• Actions completed during the reporting period
• Data and metrics as they become available and verified
• Adjustments to focus areas based on implementation learnings

This thread will remain the reliable source of truth for all optimization efforts. The community can expect consistent visibility into Foundation actions without over-promising on timelines or outcomes.

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Closing

The Astar Foundation acknowledges the concerns of our community regarding token performance. While external market conditions remain beyond our control, we are committed to taking decisive action on the areas within our influence.

This initiative represents our commitment to responsible stewardship of the Astar ecosystem. We invite the community to follow this thread for updates as we work together toward a more sustainable and efficient ecosystem.

This thread is reserved for official Astar Foundation progress updates. For questions or feedback regarding this initiative, please open a dedicated topic on the Forum or join the conversation on Discord. Ambassadors and community members are encouraged to reference this thread when addressing related inquiries.

[Juminstock]

Astar Foundation Forward: Progress Report One

I. Introduction

This is the first progress report under the Astar Foundation Forward initiative. As committed in our original post, we publish updates when meaningful actions have been completed, not before.

This report covers optimization efforts across two key areas:

• Token Emissions: Actions to reduce inflationary pressure from network mechanisms
• Operational Expenses: Cost optimization across Foundation operations

II. Governance Optimization

2.1. Astar Community Council (ACC) Restructuring

Status: Executed

The ACC is currently operating with 4 members, enabling efficient expense optimization while maintaining adequate representation for community oversight. This streamlined structure allows the council to remain agile and focused on high-priority governance activities without compromising the quality of community representation.

Metric	Value
Members reduced	2
Quarterly treasury expense reduction	~420,000 ASTR
Annual emission reduction	~1,680,000 ASTR

2.2. dApp Staking Registry Optimization

Status: In Progress (ACC-Managed)

The ACC is actively reviewing and delisting inactive projects from the dApp Staking registry on a rolling basis. This systematic review process ensures that only projects actively contributing to the ecosystem remain eligible for staking rewards, improving capital efficiency across the network.

Current progress:

• Registry size: 70 projects under review.
• Monthly delistings: Approximately 5-7 inactive projects.
• Benefit: Fewer registered dApps means fewer ASTR distributed as dApp rewards, reducing treasury outflows and improving the efficiency of the rewards system.

This ongoing cleanup reduces unnecessary reward distribution tied to inactive or abandoned projects. The ACC will continue this process throughout Q1 2026, prioritizing projects with minimal activity or abandoned development.

III. Astar Foundation Operational Expense Optimization

Status: Executed

The Astar Foundation has completed significant cost optimizations across multiple operational areas. These actions reflect our commitment to efficient resource allocation, every ASTR spent should contribute meaningfully to Astar’s growth and sustainability.

The following represents work completed to ensure alignment with ecosystem priorities and clear return on investment.

3.1. Protocol Engineering & Infrastructure:

• Consolidated and terminated redundant infrastructure services
• Optimized bootnode services, oracle hosting, and explorer hosting
• Security services scheduled for review in early 2026

3.2. Marketing & Communications:

• Discontinued PR and Marketing agency contracts not delivering measurable value
• Reduced tooling expenses by terminating underutilized services
• Advertising platforms reallocated based on performance metrics

3.3. Business Development & Partnerships:

• Concluded partnerships, toolings and infrastructure providers no longer aligned with current ecosystem priorities
• Discontinued educational platforms with limited engagement
• Optimized community support service allocations

These optimizations were implemented without impacting core ecosystem operations. The Foundation continues to evaluate additional opportunities for efficiency improvements while ensuring essential services remain fully operational.

IV. Looking Ahead

Optimization is only one side of the equation. In parallel with these efforts, the Astar Foundation is actively working on initiatives to increase revenue for the protocol and strengthen long-term financial sustainability.

In addition, we are working on the next iteration of Astar’s tokenomics, building on and refining the principles introduced in Tokenomics 3.0 at a higher, more holistic level. The goal is to further improve incentive alignment, capital efficiency, and the long-term resilience of the ecosystem.

We are exploring strategic opportunities that can generate sustainable income streams for the protocol, reducing reliance on token-based spending over time. More details will be shared as these initiatives mature and concrete actions are executed.