Astar Network Upgrade: Asset Hub Migration
Introduction
Hello, Astar Community!
On November 4, 2025, Astar Network will undergo maintenance during the Asset Hub Migration, a foundational upgrade that moves staking, governance, and DOT balance operations from the Polkadot Relay Chain to the Polkadot Asset Hub.
Following the successful migration of our canary network Shiden earlier this month of October, we are now ready to bring these transformative improvements to Astar mainnet.
This shift will:
Reduce DOT transaction fees by ~90%
Lower the minimum balance requirement up to 100x
Simplify all network interactions and cross-chain operations
For users, this means cheaper and easier DOT operations. For partners and developers, it introduces a unified, efficient platform to build on.
What This Means for Astar?
The Asset Hub Migration transforms how Astar Network operates within the Polkadot ecosystem. Currently, when you interact with Astar, certain operations like DOT transfers require communication with the Polkadot Relay Chain. After the migration, these operations will route through Polkadot Asset Hub instead, providing Astar users and developers with a more efficient, cost-effective infrastructure.
For Astar Network specifically, the migration involves three key changes. First, all DOT reserves move from the Polkadot Relay Chain to Asset Hub, meaning cross-chain transfers involving DOT must use Asset Hub as the intermediary. Second, the sovereign account holding Astar’s DOT reserves on Polkadot will transfer to Asset Hub automatically. Third, XCM message routing for DOT operations will require configuration updates in all Astar-integrated services.
Key Benefits:
- 90% cheaper DOT fees
- Minimum DOT balance reduced from 1 DOT → 0.01 DOT
- Unified platform for DOT, USDT, USDC, and more
Migration Timeline
The Asset Hub Migration follows a carefully orchestrated multi-phase process coordinated through Astar onchain governance and the Technical Committee with Main Council support.
During the migration window, the Supervisor Pallet (Parity) orchestrates the atomic transfer of all DOT-related state from the Relay Chain to Asset Hub, ensuring no funds are lost and all balances are preserved exactly.
| Date | Action | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| October 22nd | Governance referendum for enabling migration maintenance calls. Community votes on upgrade preparation. | Normal operations continue. Community participates in governance. |
| Nov 3, 2025 before 9 AM UTC | Technical Committee activates XCM maintenance calls. | DOT transfers between Polkadot and Astar pause. ASTR & smart contracts unaffected. |
| Nov 4, 2025 | Parity executes main migration (8–10 hrs). Atomic state transfer of balances, staking, governance. | DOT transfers paused on Polkadot. All other operations live. |
| Nov 5–7, 2025 | Migration completes. Technical Committee re-enables all XCM/XTokens with Asset Hub as reserve. | Full functionality restored. New lower fees live. |
What This Means for Users?
- No action required → migration is automatic.
- Funds are safe → balances, staking, and governance states preserved atomically.
- ASTR tokens unaffected → only DOT operations migrate.
- Temporary downtime → DOT transfers paused between Polkadot and Astar for ~2-4 days from Nov 3, 2025.
- Post-migration benefits: drastically reduced fees + unified access to multiple assets.
Guidance for Partners & Developers
The Asset Hub Migration on November 4, 2025, requires specific updates from some partners supporting Astar Network. These changes are essential to maintain seamless operations for DOT and ASTR users after the migration.
Wallet Providers
| Action | Before Migration | After Migration |
|---|---|---|
| Balance queries | Polkadot Relay Chain | Polkadot Asset Hub |
| XCM reserve | Parent location (Relay) | Parachain ID 1000 (Asset Hub) |
| Transaction methods | transfer_assets, reserve_transfer_assets |
transfer_assets_using_type_and_then |
| Migration detection | Not needed | Use pallet-rc-migrator + migration-stage |
| Error handling | Normal | Handle downtime Nov 3-7 |
RPC & Node Operators
| Requirement | Pre-Migration | Post-Migration |
|---|---|---|
| Nodes | Astar + Polkadot Relay | Astar + Polkadot Asset Hub |
| DOT queries | wss://polkadot-rpc.polkadot.io |
wss://polkadot-asset-hub-rpc.polkadot.io |
| Load balancing | Relay endpoints | Asset Hub endpoints |
| Substrate Sidecar | Default config | SAS_SUBSTRATE_URL=wss://polkadot-asset-hub-rpc.polkadot.io |
Developers
- XCM Config Update:
*// Old*
reserve: Location::parent(), *// Polkadot Relay Chain
// New*
reserve: Location::new(1, [Parachain(1000)]), *// Asset Hub*
- Smart Contracts (EVM):
For contracts using precompile address0x0000000000000000000000000000000000005004, change the destination parameter from parent location to Parachain ID 1000 (Asset Hub). - Migration Status Detection:
async function getMigrationStatus(api) {
const metadata = await api.rpc.state.getMetadata();
const hasMigrator = metadata.pallets.find(p => p.name === 'RcMigrator');
if (!hasMigrator) return 'not_started';
const stage = await api.query.rcMigrator.migrationStage();
return stage.toString().toLowerCase();
}
User FAQs
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do I need to prepare? | No. Funds migrate automatically. ASTR unaffected. DOT accessible via Asset Hub. |
| Are my funds safe? | Yes. Atomic execution preserves all balances. Migration only completes fully or not at all. |
| What about ASTR tokens? | Unaffected. Staking, transfers, and usage continue as normal. |
| When will DOT transfers pause? | Nov 3, 2025 for ~2-4 days. ASTR & contracts stay active. |
| What are the benefits? | ~90% lower DOT fees, min balance drops 1 → 0.01 DOT, unified platform with stablecoins & assets. |
| Will wallets update automatically? | Yes for most. Clear cache after Nov 7. Ledger: update Polkadot app v100.0.8+. |
| What if I’m staking ASTR? | Uninterrupted. Migration affects only DOT. |
| Can I transfer ASTR during migration? | Yes. Only DOT ops pause. |
| What if balances look wrong? | Temporary display issues may occur during the window, resolved after migration. |
| Do I need to update Astar Portal? | No. Portal auto-switches to Asset Hub. |
| What about DeFi protocols? | DOT-related functions pause from Nov 3, resume Nov 5-7 with cheaper fees. |
| How to track progress? | Live dashboard: migration.paritytech.io. |
| How do I know it’s complete? | By Nov 5–7, all services resume. Dashboard confirms. |
| Will DOT sent to old addresses work? | Yes. Deposit addresses unchanged. |
| What are new fee levels? | DOT fees ~90% lower, enabling microtransactions. |
Looking Ahead
The Asset Hub Migration is a pivotal step for Astar, delivering:
Economic accessibility → cheaper fees, micro-transactions possible
Developer readiness → simplified XCM & contracts
Growth potential → broader adoption across Polkadot
This positions Astar as a leader in efficiency within the Polkadot ecosystem.
Technical Support and Resources
If you need support during the migration or would like more context on the action points directly from the Polkadot/Parity documentation, please refer to the links below:
- Asset Hub Migration: High level
- Parity Migration Portal
- Polkadot Support Center
- Asset Hub Migration: Polkadot Forum
- Asset Hub Official Documentation
Together Toward the Future
With the Asset Hub Migration, Astar strengthens its foundation for the future. This is not just an upgrade, it’s the start of a new chapter of growth, accessibility, and innovation.
Thank you for your trust and support. Let’s keep building web3 together. 
