Astar Network Updates: Switching to Agile Coretime Model

Astar
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:hammer_and_wrench: Astar Network Infrastructure Upgrade: Switch to the Agile Coretime Model

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Introduction

:closed_mailbox_with_raised_flag: Hello, Astar Community!

We’re excited to share a major infrastructure evolution for Astar Network as we prepare to transition from the legacy parachain lease system to Polkadot’s Agile Coretime model, a foundational component of Polkadot 2.0. This shift ensures long-term scalability, cost-efficiency, and seamless operation for our network and its developers.

With Astar’s current parachain lease set to expire in August 2025, now is the time to embrace a more autonomous and efficient system. Rather than re-entering capital-intensive crowdloan auctions, Astar will adopt Agile Coretime, a flexible, programmable approach to acquiring execution resources within the Polkadot ecosystem.

This is more than a technical upgrade, it’s a strategic leap forward in how Astar operates, evolves, and delivers value to users and developers alike.

:spider_web: What Is Agile Coretime?

Polkadot is evolving, and so is Astar.

Think of Agile Coretime like a cloud subscription, similar to how companies pay monthly for services like AWS or Google Cloud. Instead of committing to a long, expensive lease, Astar can now purchase what it needs, when it needs it. Before, blockspace (our access to Polkadot’s network) was only available through big auctions every two years. That system worked in the past, but it wasn’t very flexible or efficient.

Agile Coretime lets Astar buy execution time, known as “coretime”, in two simple ways:

  1. Bulk Coretime (Monthly Access)
    • Think of it like a monthly plan.
    • It gives Astar consistent access for 28 days at a time.
    • Ideal for active, growing chains like ours.
  2. On-Demand Coretime (Pay-As-You-Go)
    • Purchased block-by-block when needed.
    • Perfect for new or smaller chains with irregular traffic.
    • Acquired through real-time bidding.

Agile Coretime makes Polkadot, and Astar, more dynamic, scalable, and user-friendly.

:gear: Why Is Astar Switching to Agile Coretime?

Since its launch on Polkadot, Astar has relied on a system called the parachain lease, a model where we had to win a slot through crowdloan auctions in order to secure our place on the network.

This worked in the early days, but now that our lease is set to expire in August 2025, it’s time to evolve. The old system, while important at the beginning of Polkadot, brings a lot of friction and uncertainty, especially for a growing ecosystem like Astar.

:door: What were the problems with the old model?

  1. High Costs: Renewing our lease meant running expensive crowdloan campaigns, requiring huge capital upfront.
  2. Inflexibility: The lease terms were fixed and hard to adapt to changing needs.
  3. Uncertainty: Every renewal brought risk, what if we didn’t win the auction?

:100: Why Agile Coretime is better for Astar

Now, we’re transitioning to Agile Coretime, a smarter and more modern way to access Polkadot’s blockspace (the resource that keeps our network live and running).

Here’s why it’s a better fit for Astar and our community:

  1. No more auctions: Astar can buy “coretime” directly, like a monthly subscription.
  2. Automatic renewals (coming soon): Optional feature to avoid downtime or interruptions. We’re working to enable this as soon as possible.
  3. More flexibility: We can scale our usage based on actual demand.
  4. Secure by design: We still benefit from Polkadot’s validator-backed security.
  5. Aligned with Polkadot 2.0: We adopt cutting-edge upgrades like Async Backing and Elastic Scaling.

Step-by-Step Implementation for Astar

To support the switch to the Agile Coretime model, Astar will execute a two-step governance process aimed at enabling optional auto-renewals for our already secured coretime.

While Astar currently holds a core slot via the legacy parachain lease model, this lease now requires manual renewal every 28 days. The following steps will allow us to automate these renewals to ensure greater resilience and minimize the risk of downtime in case of missed manual renewals.

:white_check_mark: Step 1: Connect to the Coretime Chain

A dedicated communication channel will be established between Astar and the Coretime Chain, Polkadot’s new system chain for managing execution time.

This connection, known as an HRMP channel, allows both networks to communicate securely and sets the foundation for enabling automated coretime management.

:white_check_mark: Step 2: Enable Auto-Renewals (Optional)

Once the channel is active, we’ll proceed with a governance referendum that will send an XCM message using Astar’s sovereign account on the Coretime Chain to enable auto-renewals.

This optional feature will allow automatic renewal of Astar’s coretime without the need for repeated manual actions or additional governance votes, reducing the risk of lease expiration or unexpected interruptions.

The entire process will be funded using DOT held by the Astar Financial Committee (AFC), ensuring secure and transparent execution.

:coin: Financial Governance and Treasury Strategy

The Astar Financial Committee (AFC) will play a critical role and oversee the acquisition and management of Coretime:

  • Utilize treasury strategies (staking, yield-bearing instruments) to generate and optimize DOT reserves.
  • Automate monthly Bulk Coretime purchases through the Coretime Chain broker pallet.
  • Maintain contingency reserves to hedge against price volatility or sudden demand shifts.

To prevent downtime from missed manual renewals, Astar is enabling auto-renewals through a one-time XCM Root call.

This setup allows Astar’s sovereign account on the Coretime system chain to automatically purchase blockspace every 28 days, as long as sufficient DOT is available, ensuring continuity without requiring repeated governance actions.

Strategic Impact for Astar and the Ecosystem

Switching to Agile Coretime, Astar is proactively aligning with the architectural direction of Polkadot 2.0. This upgrade not only modernizes Astar’s execution layer but also reaffirms its commitment to decentralization, sustainability, and technical excellence inside Polkadot. Benefits include:

  • Automated lease renewals with zero downtime risk.
  • Capital efficiency no more costly crowdloans.
  • Developer-friendly UX no operational disruptions, just uninterrupted building.
  • Seamless integration with Polkadot innovations, such as Async Backing, Elastic Scaling, and XCM upgrades.
  • Governance-led autonomy, ensuring decentralized control and transparency.

It also opens the door to future enhancements like Core Jam, Elastic Cores, and core auctions-as-a-service, all of which Astar will be compatible in the future.

:seedling: Looking Ahead: Astar’s Commitment to the Future of Polkadot

From Async Backing in June to Agile Coretime in Q3, Astar continues to evolve in adopting critical Polkadot advancements. We are not only consumers of this technology, we are active builders shaping its future.

This proposal marks a milestone in our roadmap toward a scalable, decentralized, and interoperable Web3, reinforcing our mission to empower developers and serve millions of users across the multichain landscape.

:ballot_box_with_ballot: Let’s continue building… together. Thank you for your trust and belief in Astar. :astr:

9 Likes
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It is important to transition to Agile Core Time in order to adopt each function in the future!

One concern is the recent surge in costs. AFC is currently acquiring DOT through Hydration, but with the recent sharp rise in the price of Core, there are concerns about whether it will be possible to cover the costs.

What are your thoughts on this point?
https://data.parity.io/coretime

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2 Likes
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Thank you for the great question, it’s a valid concern, and I’m happy to clarify.

Yes, Coretime prices have increased recently, but this won’t be a problem for Astar. Here’s why:

  • The Astar Financial Committee (AFC) has already secured the funds needed for our first Coretime purchase and will continue topping up as needed.

  • The recent price spike is due to RFC-149, which aims to prevent hoarding and encourage fair access. While prices may vary, our financial planning already considered this.

  • We had budgeted for up to 90 DOT/month, and current projections suggest the final cost may be lower. We’ll have an estimate of the possible cost a few days before the purchase.

This transition to Agile Coretime is a strategic upgrade, giving Astar greater flexibility and lower long-term costs.

Thanks again for your engagement :+1:.

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Got it, thanks!
As an AFC observer, I’ll focus on securing funds while keeping an eye on core time prices.

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In any case this model is more flexible, for Parachain auctions had to spend a lot of time and a considerable amount of money, which made it slow and more bureaucratic, a pity that this was not implemented earlier in this way would have saved time and money and promoted usability in Polkadot projects with greater efficiency, well it is never too late and surely this flexibility and new economy offered by Agile Coretime will pay off.

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:ballot_box_with_ballot: Governance Update: Vote Now on Astar’s Agile Coretime Transition

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:open_mailbox_with_raised_flag: Voting Now Open

We’re pleased to announce that the first referendum in Astar Network’s transition to the Polkadot Agile Coretime model is now live and ready for community voting. This proposal is a key step in transitioning from the legacy parachain lease model to a more flexible and decentralized system aligned with Polkadot 2.0.

:link: Vote on Referendum #31 now!

:satellite_antenna: Purpose of the Referendum

This referendum proposes establishing an HRMP (Horizontal Relay-routed Message Passing) channel between Astar Network and the Coretime system chain. This connection enables secure messaging and coordination via XCM and lays the groundwork for our upcoming auto-renewal governance proposal.

:light_bulb: Community Participation is Essential

This is an important switch that will shape the next chapter of Astar’s infrastructure within the Polkadot ecosystem. We encourage all ASTR holders to review the proposal and cast your vote.

:ballot_box_with_ballot: Vote Now on Subsquare

Thank you for your support and commitment to Astar. Let’s keep building, together. :astr:

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Passing this proposal is an essential step toward adopting Agile Core Time.
Of course, I voted in favor of it.

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For a seamless and better chain experience, I support this process, which makes sense from every angle and in every sense.

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It’s great to see Astar continue to implement and benefit from the evolutions of the Polkadot ecosystem, while gaining more and more traction in the Ethereum ecosystem with Soneium. This way, Astar will be able to benefit from the advantages of both ecosystems.

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In a hypothetical scenario, is there any chance that Astar would consider leaving Polkadot if coretime prices become unfeasible?
I wouldn’t be surprised if this situation arises at some point, especially given the increasing pressure from DOT holders who are eager to recover their losses and are anticipating any form of artificial token pump within the Polkadot ecosystem.

Has the team taken this aspect into consideration?
Is the price paid for a core truly justified by the benefits of being part of Polkadot?
I would really appreciate hearing the team’s perspective on this.

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You did well to raise this concern, this highlights one of the key flaws in the original pricing model: renewal prices are detached from market prices As mentioned by @Juminstock, the recently executed runtime upgrade on the Coretime System Chain of Polkadot in referenda #1629 aims to address price manipulation by adding new cores and introducing a new pricing rule for renewals:

  • First, the minimum renewal end_price has been set to 10DOT for the upcoming Sale 12, starting next week.
  • Second, the renewal price cap will now follow this formula:
    price_cap = max(previous_price + renewal_bump * previous_price, end_price)
    This means the renewal price will be the higher of either (1) the previous core’s price plus a configured percentage bump, or (2) the end_price of the most recent sale.

Astar is scheduled to renew its core in Sale 13 (end of August). The renewal price will therefore depend on the end price of Sale 12. Based on current trends, it is expected to fall somewhere between 10 DOT and 100 DOT.

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@pitcoin777 question is very interesting. I share his curiosity and would also like to have clarifications on the issue: what if core prices became unfeasible?

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We will monitor core prices closely and adapt as needed to ensure Astar’s uptime is maintained.

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I understand, thank you for the details!
It seems like there won’t be any problems with this.

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This update is really important, they wanted to move us away from Polkadot but the truth is that we are still part of the relaychain, we must continue to have a presence in Polkadot both in development and visualization of our achievements in the network, the work that has been done together with Hydration has been incredible! Well done guys.

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I consider these steps to be fundamental for expanding Astar’s presence in more ecosystems. I’m not fully aware of which other parachains will be available with Polkadot’s new model, but I’m very satisfied with what Astar is doing.
I don’t think the Coretime price is a problem, since Astar has everything it needs to adapt to price fluctuations, etc. My interest shifts to a more important factor: what can we do on Astar Substrate?
The update is very important, but I think it would be nice to see applications beyond the usual DeFi strategies on Hydration or Bifrost that use this new, optimized Polkadot model.

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There are already a considerable number of parachains either in the same transition process or with it already completed. I’m sure the rest will eventually join this new paradigm, as it brings great benefits compared to the Legacy Parachain Lease model.

In fact, the system remains intact, and builders can continue to develop anything they want. This transition doesn’t involve any major technical changes that would impact development on Astar. It’s more focused on the protocol layer rather than the application layer (dApps). cc @Igor

I also think it would be very interesting to see new developments.

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:hammer_and_wrench: Step 2: Let’s Enable Auto-Renewals for Astar’s Coretime Access

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Introduction

Hey, Astar community! :waving_hand:

We’re now entering the second and final step of our journey to fully activate Agile Coretime, the new way that Polkadot is offering parachains like Astar to stay live on the network without needing to go through complicated auctions or crowdloans every few years.

In Step 1, we already connected Astar to the new Coretime system chain through an HRMP channel, which acts like Polkadot’s internal tool for managing how projects access blockspace (that’s the space we use to process transactions and smart contracts). Now, it’s time for Step 2, where we unlock a feature that ensures Astar can stay connected to Polkadot automatically every month, without needing manual approvals or coordination.

:card_index: What this step will do

We’re asking the community to vote on a governance proposal that will allow Astar to send a special message, called an XCM Root Call, to the Coretime chain. This message tells Polkadot, “Hey, from now on, please let Astar renew its parachain slot automatically using the DOT tokens we already have saved.”

These DOT tokens are initially provided by the Astar Financial Committee (AFC), which will fund Astar’s sovereign account with 300 DOT. The sovereign account will then automatically purchase Coretime, using the available funds based on the market price. This mechanism ensures that Coretime is acquired without requiring manual intervention.

:brain: Why does this matter?

Right now, without auto-renewals, someone from our team has to manually approve every single monthly renewal. If we miss even one of them, we risk downtime or disruptions, which is not good for users, builders, or the overall reliability of the network.

By enabling this autorenewal system, we:

  • Make sure Astar never runs out of Core time, so developers and users don’t experience interruptions
  • Avoid the hassle of manual renewals, with the new system, Coretime purchases happen automatically from Astar’s sovereign account, without needing onchain governance or manual intervention.
  • Let Astar act more like an independent, self-sustaining network, which is what Polkadot 2.0 is all about

In short, this keeps Astar running smoothly behind the scenes, while the community focuses on building and growing.

:package: What’s included in this proposal?

Here’s what the vote is actually about:

  • Allowing Astar to renew its Coretime automatically, like a subscription that renews every 28 days
  • Making sure Astar and Polkadot’s Coretime chain can communicate smoothly through XCM calls
  • Remove the need for repeated governance actions or manual lease renewals

Once this is approved, everything will run automatically in the background, as long as there’s DOT in the account, Astar keeps its Coretime without interruptions.

:ballot_box_with_ballot: The vote is now open!

The governance referendum to approve this final activation step is now live on Subsquare.

:postbox: :backhand_index_pointing_right: Cast your vote now here :backhand_index_pointing_left:

:white_check_mark: Enactment (if approved): Friday, August 8

:in_hole: Autorenewal Activation Target: August 22

With this vote, we’re entering the final stage of fully automating Astar’s parachain lifecycle. It’s a bold move that reflects our deep alignment with Polkadot’s evolution and our ongoing commitment to build sustainable, future-proof multichain infrastructure.

Let’s make history together, one block at a time. Vote now and help us shape Astar’s future. :ballot_box_with_ballot:

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Thank you very much!

This vote, like Step 1, is necessary for Astar to operate healthily as a parachain. Of course, I voted “Aye.”

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Thank you, that was easy AYE from me!

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