Peers Program Season 3: Empower Astar Together — Applications Open

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Dear Astar Community,

To everyone who has participated in the Peers Program so far, and to all of you who support the network every day, we extend our deepest gratitude.
This will be our third recruitment cycle, and based on the lessons learned from previous rounds, we have refined the program to make it more sustainable and more accessible for participants.
This initiative is designed not only for technical contributors but for a wide range of community members. We warmly invite you to join us as partners in shaping the future of Astar.

Here is the portal site for this program: :link: Astar Peers Portal

:globe_with_meridians: Strengthening Astar Through Decentralization

One of the core values at the heart of Astar Network is decentralization.
Decentralization is not just an ideal—it is the foundation that supports the network’s resilience, efficiency, and long-term sustainability.
As nodes spread across the world and more diverse participants join, Astar becomes stronger, fairer, and more trustworthy.

The Peers Program is a concrete initiative to advance this decentralization.
By bringing together the power of our community, we aim to grow Astar into a truly global and sustainable network.

:bullseye: Purpose

This program is designed with two primary objectives:

  1. Promoting decentralization across the Astar Network
    The goal of this program is to promote decentralization within the Astar Network by expanding community‑driven node operations across the globe.
    We aim to encourage participation from diverse regions and build a structure that enhances the network’s robustness and sustainability.

  2. Developing future technical talent
    Another objective of this initiative is to foster the growth of technical talent by enabling participants to experience firsthand how individual contributions—though small on their own—can collectively form a significant part of the Astar Network ecosystem.
    Therefore, while blockchain nodes are generally expected to run on machines with relatively high specifications and high availability, this program recommends operating archive nodes on comparatively lower‑spec machines.

:round_pushpin: Target Regions

The regions we are focusing on are listed below. However, the initiative remains open to participants from all regions.

  • South America
  • Africa
  • West Asia
  • South East Asia (Partially achieved in the season 1-2)
  • Australia (Partially achieved in the season 1-2)

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:hammer_and_wrench: Issues and Improvements

The issues identified in Seasons 1 and 2, along with their improvement points, are as follows:

ISSUE: Prerequisite skills for node operation
IMPROVEMENT: Although building an archive node is relatively simple, operating a node generally requires knowledge related to Linux system administration. Therefore, the ability to perform basic Linux operations has been added as a requirement.

ISSUE: Node hang-ups and unexpected shutdowns
IMPROVEMENT: Especially on ARM architectures, machines with only 4GB of physical memory have difficulty maintaining long-term continuous operation. For this reason, machines equipped with 8GB or more memory are recommended.

:clipboard: Participation Requirements

  • The program is open to anyone
  • 5 candidates minimum from priority regions
  • up to 5 candidates in any region
  • The participants will be selected by this program manager(tksarah) at this stage.
  • The node must be an archive node
  • The node must run without big interruption (no need for 100% uptime but at least 80% is asked)
  • The node must be connected to Telemetry
  • The node has to be run on a Raspberry Pi 4/5 or other small ARM‑based machines, and x86_64 machines are also supported
  • The machines should have at least 4GB of RAM, with 8GB or more recommended
  • Since we have confirmed that the requirements are fairly challenging for non‑technical participants, we ask that candidates have at least some basic experience with Linux.

:memo: Application

Method
To apply for Peers Program Season 3, please submit your application using the form below:
:backhand_index_pointing_right: Application Form

Period
From January 6, 2026 (starting now) to January 31, 2026

:spiral_calendar: Program Milestones

Year Month Description
2026 January Recruitment of Season 3 participants, Recruiting 10 Astar Node Runners
2026 June Review of Season 3 mid-term results (confirmation of remaining rewards, decision on continuation proposals)
2026 December Final review of Season 3 results and coordination for the Season 4 recruitment

:receipt: Rewards Allocation

This reward is provided to help offset a portion of the monthly costs associated with operating a node, such as hardware and utility expenses, rather than covering the full amount.

Peers Program Reward Conditions

  • 100% reward for availability exceeding 80%
  • If no on-chain identity is registered: 50% deduction applied
  • 50% reward if availability is below 80%
  • No reward if the node is not running or is inactive

Nodes that remain inactive for an extended period or frequently go offline and fail to stay synchronized will receive zero rewards.

Reward Basis

  • Base reward amount is USD 30, paid in ASTR tokens
  • The final reward value is adjusted based on the Astar price, using the EMA30 value of the following month.
  • Price reference

Payment Schedule

In principle, reward amounts are calculated based on the node’s operational rate from the previous month and disbursed within the current month.

Funding

The rewards will be distributed from the wallet balance secured during the previous season. Depending on future operational needs, additional proposals may be considered if necessary.

:balance_scale: Disclaimer

This proposal is adaptable and can be refined based on community consensus and feedback.

Thank You for Reading

Astar’s decentralization is a collective effort.
We look forward to building the next chapter with all of you.

Sincerely,
@bLd759 — Astar Network DevOps Engineer
@tksarah — Astar Network Ecosystem Agent (Technical)

:books: Resources

Previous proposals

Jun 2024
Funding for the Peers Program

Sep 2023(Season 2)
Revised Proposal: Proposal: Peers program - spread Astar nodes across the world with Raspberry Pi

Jan 2023(Season 1)
[DEPRECIATED] Proposal: Peers program - spread Astar nodes across the world with Raspberry Pi

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I’m glad to see that community proposals which truly generate real value for the ecosystem continue to exist. Congratulations on leading this, @tksarah!

@Ambassadors and community members, please support the mission of this program and let’s expand it to our local communities so more users become aware of it and apply.

@tksarah, feel free to ask for my support in anything you need, I’ll be happy to help support the development of this program :handshake:.

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Running an Astar node on a Raspberry Pi, operating the node, and competing on uptime sounds like a very interesting initiative.
I would love to participate. ヽ(´ー`)ノ

I plan to apply right away, and then write blog posts about the application process, node setup, and how uptime is measured.

I do have one concern. I believe I need to join the Peers-program channel on the Astar Discord, but I have been banned from the Astar Discord for some time and therefore cannot access the Peers-program channel. I would like to request that the ban be lifted.
The Discord account I submitted in the application form is stardustdotbox.

Thank you very much for your consideration. :blush:

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You are welcome to participate in the Peers Program without any issues, and only once your node is fully set up can your inclusion in the dedicated Discord channel be considered.

I remind you that your ban was justified, so lifting it will require an evaluation.

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I have repeatedly asked how my ban was justified, and we have already experienced that when there are differences in opinion, the discussion does not move forward and instead turns into a repetitive, Zen-like exchange.

There is only one thing I would like to convey to the Astar community.
I entered the Web3 community through Astar, was invited by Ramz to the official Soneium server, and was genuinely shocked by the cultural differences I encountered there.
It may be that I felt confused because what I saw was very different from the Web3 world I had heard about while I was in Astar.

I agree to the condition that I will return to the Astar Discord only after my node has been fully set up.

Thank you. JuminStock :wink:

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I will conclude the conversation here, as it goes beyond the scope and intent of this thread.

It will be considered; it is not a fact, but rather something that may happen subject to review.

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Hola @Juminstock
As described in the blog posts below, I have successfully launched an Astar archive node on a Raspberry Pi 5 with 16 GB of memory and a 4 TB USB SSD, and I have confirmed that my node is listed on telemetry.(syncing now)

As the next step for Astar Peers Program Season 3, could you please advise me on what I should do next?

Additionally, would it be possible for you to consider allowing me to return to the Astar Discord?

Thank you very much for your time and consideration. :wink:

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Hi @AstarPunks, congratulations on successfully starting your Astar node!

@tksarah is the person in charge and leading this community initiative, so I’ll let him respond and provide you with the next steps to join the program if he deems it appropriate.

Regarding this point, I will discuss it with Takeshi and @you425 to determine an appropriate response.

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@Juminstock
Where should we discuss his return to Discord?
I don’t think this thread is appropriate, so would Telegram be better?

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We appreciate your contribution to promoting decentralization within the Astar Network.
Since Japan is outside the target regions for this round, the priority will be lower.
We will initially prioritize the target regions, and then expand the selection more broadly as we assess the situation.
As the application period is still ongoing, we will inform you individually of the results at a later time.

Regarding your participation in the Astar Network Discord, which is currently being discussed with @Juminstock, that matter is separate from this post and will be considered independently.

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Thank you for celebrating the launch and operation of my Astar node! :slight_smile:

Yes, I understand the following application requirements.

  • 5 candidates minimum from priority regions
  • up to 5 candidates in any region

Based on the flow of discussion in this topic, which indicated that running an Astar node would be considered as a step toward returning to the Astar Discord, I have already spent 582 USD to build and operate an Astar node.

Therefore, I sincerely hope to be allowed to participate in this program. :wink:

I do not clearly understand the reason why I was banned from the Astar Discord.
I am requesting an explanation of why I was banned, and why I continue to be excluded from the Astar Discord without any request for correction or improvement.
I ask that this be discussed in a public forum (for example, the Astar Forum), rather than in private channels such as Telegram. :wink:

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I really love this initiative, and it’s fantastic to see that South America is among the regions the program focuses on! :flexed_biceps:

Although I haven’t run a node before, I would love to participate. However, given that the application deadline is approaching, I’m not entirely sure I can run a node 100% right now, but I would love to join in a future edition.

If this program is open to the public, I can help spread the word within the Spanish-speaking community and see if there are any applicants you think might be suitable to run some of the nodes :+1:

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Hello @CJorgeSaez

Thank you for reaching out. You do not need to have a fully running node in advance to participate in this program. I may have caused some confusion regarding the participation requirements — the listed conditions refer to what is needed in order to run a node , not what must already be in place before applying.

Once you join, both I and other community members who are already operating nodes will be able to provide the necessary support. What matters most is whether there are skilled individuals in key priority regions who resonate with this program and can help strengthen the network through greater decentralization. South America continues to be one of our highest‑priority regions, so we would be very happy if you could apply.

We also truly appreciate your willingness to share this information with the Spanish‑speaking community. Thank you for your support.

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I’m glad to see you decided to participate, @CJorgeSaez! As @tksarah mentioned, you can make a significant contribution by operating a node in the regions where they are most needed, if you want to participate, of course.

Takeshi, I decided to join the program as well :sweat_smile:

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Hi @Juminstock , thank you very much for your kind words, I have already applied :raising_hands:

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Hi @tksarah , thank you so much for your kind words, I really appreciate it! :raising_hands:

I’ve already applied and I’ll help you spread the word in the Spanish-speaking community :flexed_biceps:

I’m currently running a campaign to give away Startale App access codes to the Spanish-speaking community. Today I’ll also create a campaign for the Astar Peers Program and post it by tomorrow at the latest to see if you can get enough qualified applicants in the remaining days :+1:

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@tksarah Shared! I hope more members from LATAM can join this initiative :flexed_biceps:

Hi @Juminstock I shared this campaign on the Spanish server of the Discord channel with a description + link to the Twitter ann + banner, and I was automatically removed from the channel. I’ve rejoined, but it also removed me from the Space-Hub servers. Could you please check this when you have time? Thank you very much in advance! :raising_hands:

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Love seeing the Peers Program spark real regional outreach, LATAM is a super under-tapped zone for infra roles like node runners, and the campaigns + translations are a great way to lower friction for newcomers. Peers has always been strongest when it blends education + incentives, and this season seems to lean into that more intentionally.

Unfortunate Discord hiccup there, but good that it’s being surfaced quickly, nothing kills momentum faster than onboarding friction. Hope it gets sorted and that we see more diverse applicants this round.

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I really appreciate that. Thank you!

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Hello,

The application period has now ended. Thank you to everyone who applied.

Participation decisions will be communicated individually based on the results of the review.
If you do not receive an individual notification, please consider that your application was not selected.

If you have not yet joined the Astar Discord, please make sure to join.
(By the way, unfortunately, I’ve only been able to find one person so far with the Discord name provided in the applications…)
All further communication will be made through Discord.

Thank you.

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