Astar, Startale Labs, Soneium and the state of our ecosystem

Astar
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The community, the part of holders, has nothing to reproach itself for. Here the only ones who need to change are them! What should the community have done if not abandon after taking a -90% in a year on their shoulders? They have abandoned Astar, it is obvious to everyone. Restoring trust will be very difficult, they will have to come up with an absurd announcement.

I am very angry, it cannot come to this, the impression is always the same, they used Astar as leverage to be able to do Soneium with Sony behind them. Technically how can I trust a person who is very lucky to be paid for his work on Soneium, and who has his back covered? Think about it, even the fact that Soneium does not have a token says a lot… Having entered as crypto people, they slip away as web3 gurus… but in the meantime they have collected our trust and money to grow!

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But I certainly don’t blame the community, on the contrary I advise the foundation to interact and support even those few (not necessarily paid) to grow… after all, we users can’t do much except try to increase interest in the ecosystem… the foundation obviously has the main role in providing content/motivations… but that’s not enough, we have to grow together to expand media coverage as much as possible… Then that there are more important problems seems absurd to me even just repeating it, but our power to solve them is limited to writing here and reporting it…

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So I understand Why continue writing here if everything is to be thrown away? Why are we stuck, I guess?.. Ok, let’s try to free ourselves and do everything in our little way to improve the situation, otherwise we accept the loss and say goodbye… as far as I’m concerned I will try to do everything possible to bring the value of astr to more acceptable levels… and what I’m trying to say is a simple thing, at zero cost and with relative effort… which certainly won’t be enough to resurrect astr but maybe it can be a small step to improve one of the many things that are not going well at the moment, so I ask the astar and sonium foundation: 1 to post more, more frequently 2 to press the astar sony sonium link 3 to support, retweet, respond to the ambassadors first and also to the independent ones who try to make the project known.

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108

@Forstar this is your second official warning! Next warning will result in a different outcome.
Please follow: Astar Collective - Rules of Engagement

You have been continuing creating FUD around myself as Head of Foundation based on personal sentiment and emotions. You have been accusing me from things that are not correct and making false claims.

This has nothing to do with not showing respect to you! The moment respect is showed, respect is given. If this topics turns further in to just complaining and creating fud, this topic will be closed.

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109

dude, I’ve been asking questions for a month, with no response, as expected you want to get banned.

Many other people are writing to you, and you pretend not to read, you deleted at least 5 of my posts without any notification. But what exactly are you talking about?

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111

I read everything and when there is value add like the latest responses from Marroz are now being hijacks of your replies makes any convo difficult. My ask is to just follow the rules of engagement and when there is a question of proposals that require my response, I will.

If you want a more back and forth complain session, let’s move to Discord or DM me on Telegram (@maartenhenskens).

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112

I don’t understand, do you decide what should be written on the forum? I can’t understand why I have to write you in dm and I can’t externalize everything that many of us have thought here.

Let’s start with the first unanswered question.

What do you intend to do to increase the value of the token in the short term given the collapse that has occurred? You proposed buyback with sequencer soneium fee. Well, you didn’t give any info, is it just an ad or is it possible to quantify what you said?

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Let me do the research for you because it seems you are missing context:

  • What do you intend to do to increase the value of the token: see all initiatives that are done in the last month but seems you have missed them:
    – Tokenomics adjustments
    – Fast Finaly Layer
    – Received the status of Soneium ecosystem asset
    – Investment interested from new sources (final phases)
    – Uniswap close collaboration (soon also on Soneium)
    – AFC initiative
    – Secured deep liquidity in the market with our market makers
    – Opened many new positions with our HR team
    – …

I DIDNT proposed any buyback with Soneium Sequencer fee, this is an initiative from Startale Group Ltd , where they got support from Astar Foundation. It’s not Astar Foundation that needs to answer to your questions, this should come from Startale Group and not from my position because Astar Foundation is not part of the Joint Venture with Sony that controls the sequencer fee.

This is my final and last response on those questions but please look further than your frustations.

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115

Greetings to the entire Astar community and a heartfelt thank you to our ambassadors, the true pillars who passionately guide new and long-time holders, contributing daily to the growth of our project! However, looking at our current social media strategy, particularly on X, I believe it’s time to share some thoughts on how we can amplify the $ASTR brand and make our ecosystem shine.
Observations:
Limited Growth for Ambassadors: Despite their tremendous efforts, ambassadors’ social media profiles rarely exceed 1,000 followers and generate few interactions (likes, comments, retweets) compared to impressions. This hinders their ability to amplify $ASTR’s message.

Inconsistent Presence of the Official Channel: The @AstarNetwork
account posts sporadically, often only 4/5 times a week, and is nearly absent on weekends when the crypto community is most active. This lack of consistency provides little content for creators and limits overall engagement.

Insufficient Support for Creators: Ambassadors receive limited visible support from the official channel, such as retweets or mentions. Greater support could significantly boost their visibility and the project’s promotion.

Metrics Need Improvement: Relying primarily on impressions to measure ambassadors’ impact is not effective. Real interactions (comments, shares, likes) are a far better indicator of engagement and interest.

Proposals for a Stronger Strategy:
Increased Presence of the Official Channel: @AstarNetwork
should post once a day (roughly 7 posts per week), with diverse content: technical updates, partnership announcements, memes, or interactive posts to drive engagement. Staying active on Saturdays and Sundays is critical—the crypto world never stops!

Concrete Support for Ambassadors: The foundation should actively support creators, for example, through regular retweets, mentions in official posts, or coordinated campaigns (e.g., hashtags like #AstarEcosystem or community challenges). More active and visible support would help their profiles grow and spread the project’s message more effectively.

Focus on Interactions: We need to revise evaluation metrics, rewarding the quality of engagement (interaction rates, meaningful comments, shares) rather than just the volume of views.

Creative Community Campaigns: Let’s propose initiatives like AMA (Ask Me Anything) sessions on X Spaces, user-generated content contests, or collaborations with crypto influencers to attract new followers and spark interest in $ASTR.

Proactive Scam Management: Spam and scam messages are a challenge, but they don’t justify a reduced presence. Active moderation, clear responses, and effective filters can address the issue without compromising communication.

A Call to the Foundation:
I urge those managing @AstarNetwork
and the foundation to embrace these reflections and take decisive action to support our ambassadors. A concrete commitment to empowering creators will not only foster their growth but also amplify $ASTR’s reach, both for technical updates and for generating the vital interest needed in this competitive space. Interactions matter more than impressions—let’s prioritize quality to make a difference!
Astar is all of us, community first!
Together, with a stronger social media strategy and a united community, we can take Astar to new heights. Our passion is the key—let’s make our voice heard!

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116

Hello, @Marroz! I truly appreciate you taking the time to come to the forum and share both the issues you’ve observed and the possible solutions.

First of all, I’d like to let you know that I’m currently serving as the new Community Manager for Astar Network. Many of my current responsibilities are exactly what you mentioned above: managing ambassadors, overseeing social media content (together with our talented marketing team), community activation strategy, and more.

With that introduction out of the way, I want to mention that we are already working on what you’re proposing.

  1. Our X account is and will remain active, sharing valuable content every day, retweeting, and mentioning projects we’re collaborating with.
  2. Support for ambassadors will also be reflected in other areas beyond just the X account (since they don’t only create content, they’re also essential in areas like community management here on the forum, in their local Telegram communities, and on our Discord).
  3. As for community activation campaigns, this is a key area I’m actively working on, and I’ll soon be sharing updates regarding this.

Once again, thank you for your proactive message. I assure you that at Startale and Astar Network, we are working with the best interest of our community in mind :flexed_biceps:t3:.

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117

My most sincere congratulations to @Marroz, one of the most active members of our great Italian community, his criticisms are always constructive, aimed at making ASTAR prosper.

Glad to know that @Juminstock is currently working on many of Marroz’s suggestions, I hope these improvements will take place relatively quickly and that the fruits of these are tangible.

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118

@Marroz impeccable as always, I totally agree with l you said. As Jumn knows from our previous discussions, I also believe that the community plays a key role in our progress. We move forward thanks to them, and that is why it is essential to keep them informed and involved.
@Juminstock is doing a great job and I am confident that together we can achieve even more :star:

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119

Great! Very good input @Marroz, currently the X algorithm has been modified and more difficult to have greater reach.

We need to redouble our efforts as ambassadors, but sometimes we need a push I agree, but I know @Juminstock will figure it out.

Maybe a Campaign or Quest could be organized in platforms like Guild or Airlyft, that includes following our social networks (ambassadors), this way the new users of Soneium and Astar could follow us increasing our presence in networks, it was already done once, Ramz did it and it was very successful, now that Soneium has arrived it could be a good idea to replicate it.

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120

Hi @Marroz
I want to compliment you on your comment — I found it very constructive, and I agree with many of the points you raised!

I fully support the idea that one of the best ways to amplify the voice of ASTAR and its great potential is through its ambassadors. You’re right: most of us ambassadors have profiles with fewer than 1,000 followers. And even if the content we create is high-quality and reaches decent engagement, it could be amplified much more with the support of the official Astar Network account — through likes, retweets, and mentions. This would help grow both the ambassadors’ visibility and ASTAR’s reach at the same time.

That said, I’m also aware this mechanism needs to be handled carefully. It should be applied mainly to long-term ambassadors, OGs, or those who have earned the team’s full trust and shown loyalty to the project over time. We all know the Web3 space can be full of speculators, mercenaries, or people who are only in it for rewards. If Astar helps an ambassador grow and, after a while, that person turns into a FUD-spreader, we risk having empowered someone who ends up going against the project. Unfortunately, we’ve already seen a few examples of that in the past.

Of course, this is more of a thought for the future — when more new ambassadors might join over time. I’m absolutely not saying that any of the current ambassadors are “mercenaries” — quite the opposite. I believe we’re all genuinely committed and loyal to the project, and that’s something really valuable.

That being said, I’m totally aligned with your view. As always, these things must be approached strategically, but the idea of helping valuable ambassadors grow is definitely the right path.

I’m also very happy and confident knowing that now @Juminstock has become CM — I’m sure we’ll see important improvements in how the ambassador program and community are managed. He truly has the right mindset and energy for this role, and all of us ambassadors are glad to have him on board. I also know he’s already working on improving and restructuring things.

Thanks again, @Marroz , for your proactive and value-driven comment. This is exactly the kind of discussion the forum was made for! :raising_hands:

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121

This is an interesting proposal that was actually implemented a few years ago (in 2023).
Every Friday, there was a thread featuring the best community posts of the week. I’m not exactly sure why it was discontinued—perhaps the marketing team decided to keep the official channel strictly for official communications.

However, the Astar Bulletin was later created, led by @0xRamz, to highlight articles and content produced by community agents. Currently, @Matt manages the account and handles the reposts:

https://x.com/AstarBulletin

I understand that the official profile has a lot of reach and influence, but I also recognize that using it for community reposts might come across as less professional—especially if Astar aims to position itself alongside high-level projects like Chainlink or Ethereum.

:white_check_mark: Advantages (Positive Market Perception)
Community Engagement & Empowerment
Sharing high-quality, community-generated content signals that the project values and recognizes its user base. This encourages organic contributions and helps turn users into advocates — a powerful force in the Web3 space.

Social Proof & Legitimacy
Demonstrating that the ecosystem has an active, content-creating community adds credibility. It showcases a vibrant, living protocol — which is appealing to newcomers, partners, and potential investors.

Decentralized Narrative Amplification
Enabling the community to shape and share the project’s story aligns with the ethos of decentralization. Community voices are often more relatable and can deliver the message in diverse, creative formats.

Increased Reach & Visibility
Organic content often generates better engagement. By reposting it, the official account can tap into different audience segments and extend its overall reach.

:warning: Risks (Potential Drawbacks for High-Level Business Positioning)
Brand Identity Dilution
Mixing institutional-level announcements with community commentary may weaken the brand’s professional image, making it harder to position the project as enterprise-ready or comparable to players like Chainlink or Ethereum.

Inconsistent Content Quality
Even if content is well-intentioned, the tone, style, or depth might vary widely — which could reflect poorly on the official brand if not carefully curated.

Bias and Internal Politics
Sharing content from some community members but not others may lead to perceived favoritism or internal friction. Moreover, reposting unvetted or opinionated content can introduce reputational risks.

Disruption to Official Messaging
If the official account becomes a mix of updates, memes, and community threads, the core messages — such as partnerships, technical milestones, or strategic updates — can get lost or lose perceived importance.

:pushpin: Mitigation Strategy
A strong alternative is to use dedicated satellite accounts (e.g., @AstarBulletin) for community content. This keeps the main channel clean and professional, while still supporting decentralized voices.

Another option is to introduce clearly branded content categories, like “#AstarCommunitySpotlight,” to curate and present community contributions within a distinct and controlled format on the main profile.

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Agreed, maybe we can create a channel dedicated to this - sharing community and agents content on our discord.

I can do the RT/QRT via Astar Bulletin - good point Pit!

Btw same goes for project incoming and seeking this type of support!

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Wow, I love your ideas and contributions, @pitcoin777 and @Matt.

This is definitely something that deserves attention, let’s find a way to reactivate this strategy to support our content creators. I’m aligned with @pitcoin777’s comment that this would show how much we value the work of our community.

MAGA! :astar:

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