[Request For Comments] Astar Evolution Phase 2

Astar
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Hi everyone,

First of all, thank you to everyone who took the time to read, question, criticise, and support this RFC over the past month. It has been one of the most thoughtful and intense discussions we have had in a while, and that alone says a lot about how much you still care about Astar and ASTR.

With this post, I want to do three things:

  1. Reflect on what we heard from you.
  2. Explain how that feedback shaped the path toward Evolution Phase 2.
  3. Focus on what comes next with the Burndrop PoC and how it will give everyone a chance to experiment before any real Burndrop event goes live.
  4. Provide answers to some of the questions we received from the community.

1. What we heard from you

Across all messages, there were a few strong and recurring themes:

  • Many of you feel it is not possible to fully judge the Burndrop idea without knowing more about the future token or tokens.
  • You want to be sure that ASTR remains central and relevant in the long term, not slowly sidelined by another asset.
  • You raised important concerns about fairness, value migration, liquidity and the risk of whales dominating.
  • You requested a simple, transparent mechanism with a clear dashboard that allows everyone to verify what is happening onchain.
  • Several of you shared broader questions about Astar’s long-term direction and how ASTR fits within the wider Astar and Soneium ecosystems.

One point came through very strongly. Burning is not a casual action. It touches assets that some of you have held since the Lockdrop days. Any Burndrop must respect that level of conviction and not rush people into irreversible decisions.

This RFC did exactly what it was supposed to do. It surfaced concerns early, before anything is finalized. Your feedback has directly influenced how we structure the road ahead.

2. The road to Astar Evolution Phase 2

Rather than keeping this discussion abstract, we translated it into a concrete public roadmap that was published on Astar’s blog.

In short, the road to Astar Evolution Phase 2 is built around three aligned pillars:

  • The Burndrop PoC, giving the community a first look at how scarcity and conviction come to life onchain.
  • Tokenomics 3.0, moving ASTR toward a fixed supply and a more predictable long term economic model.
  • A stronger user and ecosystem experience through the Startale App, Plaza integration on Polkadot and a more distributed governance structure.

These pieces are designed to work together. Burndrop is not an isolated event. It is part of a wider plan where ASTR becomes scarcer, easier to use and better positioned for long term contributors and institutional alignment.

You can see these themes reflected in the recent roadmap article. This RFC played an important part in shaping that direction.

3. Burndrop PoC: an experiment before the real thing

The clearest request from this thread was simple. Do not ask anyone to burn before they can see and test the mechanism in practice and understand what they might receive.

This is exactly why we decided to launch a Burndrop Proof of Concept first.

What is the Burndrop PoC

Planned for December 2025, the Burndrop PoC is a small-scale, fully onchain experiment designed to let the Astar community:

  • Deposit and lock a fixed amount of ASTR for a defined period.
  • Experience the full deposit, wait, and burn lifecycle.
  • Receive an onchain reward for burning ASTR, serving as verifiable proof of your participation in the Burndrop PoC. This reward is not a financial token or tradeable asset, but a symbolic participation marker that will give you an advantage during the real Burndrop event.
  • See a live dashboard showing deposits, burns and participation in real time.

There are three key ideas behind this PoC.

First, it is about learning. The PoC is a chance for everyone to try the mechanism in a low-risk setting. Users, developers, partners and the Foundation can all observe how it feels in practice and adjust the final Burndrop design based on real feedback, not only theory.

Second, it is about transparency. The PoC will showcase how the contracts work, how ASTR moves, how burning is handled, and how everything appears onchain. A public dashboard will give a shared view of what is happening at every step.

Third, it is about recognition. The onchain reward you receive in the PoC is a symbolic but meaningful marker of your participation in preparing the real Burndrop event. It does not hold market value, but it will provide an advantage when the full Burndrop goes live. In other words, those who help test and shape the mechanism early will be acknowledged for that contribution later.

The PoC is not a hidden Burndrop in disguise. It is a visible rehearsal so that when the real event comes, the community knows what to expect and has already had a chance to influence the design.

4. Astar Evolution Phase 2 and the real Burndrop

Looking beyond the PoC, the full Burndrop event and Evolution Phase 2 are where the larger story becomes visible.

At a high level:

  • The real Burndrop event is planned for 2026, subject to market conditions, coordination and governance.
  • It will let ASTR holders voluntarily burn tokens in return for future token or tokens connected to the Startale ecosystem.
  • The structure will be informed by everything raised in this RFC, including pro rata logic, possible caps or thresholds, vesting and fairness conditions that are clearly documented ahead of time.
  • Full details about the token or tokens, their utility and allocation will only be shared once public announcements and legal constraints allow. No one will be asked to burn before this information is available and discussed.

In parallel, Astar Evolution Phase 2 is about more than one event.

It is about positioning Astar as a purpose-driven collective that serves as part of Japan’s onchain layer. It is about moving from a single core contributor to a network of participants, institutions, enterprises, and independent builders. It is about giving ASTR a fixed supply and clearer demand drivers across Astar, Soneium and the broader ecosystems we connect to.

Burndrop sits at the intersection of these pieces. It helps realign value and scarcity around ASTR, while opening a path for those who want exposure to new tokens connected to the Startale ecosystem. At the same time, those who prefer to stay fully in ASTR benefit from a leaner circulating supply as others choose to burn.

More details about the exact Burndrop mechanics, the governance process around it and the wider Evolution Phase 2 initiatives will come in dedicated threads and proposals. This RFC is the starting point, not the conclusion.

5. Answers to common questions raised after the roadmap publication

Before closing this RFC, I also want to address several questions that appeared after the roadmap article about Astar Evolution Phase 2. These points will have dedicated threads later, but here is the current clarity we can provide.

Burndrop and Burndrop PoC

Will the two Burndrops be executed before Tokenomics 3.0 is fixed?
The Burndrop PoC will happen first because it is an experiment. It will run in parallel with our intention to roll out Tokenomics 3.0 on Astar Network. This requires governance approval, but our aim is to activate it by the end of the year or early next year, depending on community support.
The main Burndrop will only take place once Tokenomics 3.0 is finalised on mainnet. Tokenomics 3.0 is one of the key pillars we want active before the event.

Will the maximum supply of ASTR change based on how much is burned?
Yes. Tokenomics 3.0 introduces a maximum supply estimate of about 10.5B based on current economic parameters.
However, if a large amount of ASTR is burned through Burndrop, the final maximum supply naturally becomes lower. For example, if 2B ASTR are burned, the cap adjusts to about 8.5B.

Will future tokens from the Startale ecosystem be distributed after the PoC or the main event?
Only after the main Burndrop.
The PoC does not distribute tokens or any financial reward. It issues an onchain participation marker only.

When will participants receive details about the future tokens?
Once public announcements allow it and legal constraints are cleared.
No burning will be requested before all details are shared and reviewed by the community.

Will there be only two Burndrops?
The PoC is a one-time experiment scheduled for the end of this year.
The main Burndrop is planned as a one-time event in the first half of 2026, which may be executed over several short phases pending final design. Internally, we have not decided whether Burndrop should become a recurring mechanism. This is open to future community discussion.

Can the treasury participate in the Burndrop?
No. The onchain treasury and community treasury will not participate.
Regarding the Astar Financial Committee, participation would need to be discussed with them directly and would depend on their mandate.

Does the team have a target percentage of ASTR to be burned?
No fixed target. The mechanism is voluntary and market driven.
The outcome depends on community conviction and expected returns, not quotas. We aim to design the framework in a way that makes burning as attractive as possible.

What is the worst scenario and how is it prevented?
The only real risk is a lack of confidence or unclear information.
This is exactly why we began with an RFC, followed by a PoC, a public roadmap, and a commitment to publish all token details before the main event.
Everything is designed around clarity, fairness, and opt-in participation.

Tokenomics 3.0

How far is Tokenomics 3.0 as of November 2025?
The technical implementation is complete.
Shibuya testing is already live and we will share an update on the dedicated forum thread. Results so far are positive and we are moving into the next phase of the plan.
The governance proposal for activation on Astar mainnet is targeted for late 2025 or early 2026 depending on community support.

Startale App

What is the main difference between the Startale App and the Astar Portal?
The Startale App becomes the unified entry point for Astar and Soneium. It includes wallet creation, identity, activity and ecosystem participation.
The Astar Portal focuses on Astar specific tools such as dApp Staking, transfers and bridging.
The App replaces fragmentation with a single experience across both ecosystems. We are exploring Portal integration so Startale App can be supported as a wallet option.

Do users need a browser extension or a mobile app?
The Startale App supports any EVM wallet. It is not a dedicated extension.
Users can connect their existing EVM wallets to manage funds on Soneium and, in the future, Astar Network.
AA users can onboard without extensions through smart account flows, including social logins and Passkey.

Who pays gas when creating a wallet with AA?
During onboarding, gas for wallet creation is sponsored by the App so users can begin without friction.
Gas sponsorship can be covered by Startale Group or additional ecosystem partners.

Can the wallet used for Soneium Score be used inside the Startale App?
Yes. Any existing wallet, including one used for the Score, can be connected and managed inside the App.

Interoperability and Plaza

Are there already parachains that can use this interoperability?
Yes. Once Plaza is live, any parachain connected to Polkadot can communicate with Asset Hub through XCM, and EVM compatible tooling can integrate.
Several teams are already in early discussions and we will share updates as Astar’s integrations are confirmed.

Astar Community Program and Governance

Will the Governance Program be different from the AFC?
Yes.
The AFC is a governance committee focused on Astar financial matters and the DAO treasury. It has six members and a strict mandate.
The Governance Program is aimed at the broader community, focusing on education, proposal participation and treasury decision making.
Both programs complement each other and form the foundation of Astar’s governance framework, but they serve different purposes.

6. Closing

To keep things clear:

  • This RFC has served its purpose as a feedback and alignment phase.
  • Your concerns and suggestions have directly influenced the decision to start with a Burndrop PoC, to pair Phase 2.
  • No Burndrop action will start before the community has full information and time to review the final proposal.

Thank you again to everyone who participated, especially those who asked difficult questions or challenged the idea from different angles. That is exactly what we need at this stage.

We will use this thread as a reference as we publish the Burndrop PoC specification, the full Burndrop proposal and the next steps for Astar Evolution Phase 2.

On behalf of the Astar Foundation,
Gaius_sama :astr:

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Following the community call more than a week ago, a number of comments and questions have continued to be shared within the Korean community. On behalf of them, let me share several of the key points that have been raised in the community.

  • While the community understands the technical mechanism of the burndrop and the voluntary nature of participation, there is still no clear explanation of why the burndrop itself is necessary. ASTR was supposed to be considered as the core asset of the Astar and Soneium ecosystems. It is therefore difficult for many members to fully accept the motivation for introducing new future token(s) associated with the Startale ecosystem.

  • What is the primary purpose of issuing new token(s) rather than utilizing ASTR directly throughout the broader Startale ecosystem? The current design with two burndrops and associated processes/education appears far more complicated than simply expanding the direct use of ASTR. Are there specific constraints or limitations that prevent ASTR from being used in this way?

  • The underlying concern for many ASTR holders is that Startale sits at the center of the ecosystem, while ASTR seems to be treated merely as an optional asset. Even within Soneium, ASTR was presented only as one choice among others such as BTC, ETH, and USDC. Additionally, even ASTR was not included in the Soneium Season liquidity asset. Although the message emphasizes that ASTR’s utility has expanded, there is growing doubt within the community about whether its utility has truly increased in practice.

Once the responses to these points are present, then their translated version will be shared with the Korean community.

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Thanks for the questions, @pithecus , by forwarding questions from your community. Please give me a day to write up all the answers and share it here EOD tomorrow.

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Regarding the burndrop, we are planning to have the POC live mid December and hopefully this will give some answers to some questions. ASTR is still the core asset of Astar and Soneium ecosystem, with the burndrop we are adding extra utility behind the value of the token. We don’t force anyone to participate in the burndrop, only those that want and would like to use the ASTR token for this extra utility. If the motivation still lacks, I would recommend just waiting for the burndrop to happen when we have all the information to share.

I’m not sure what you mean by this question. Just to make it more clear, we are not issuing new token(s). It will be tokens created by those Startale is connected with. Could you give some examples about what you mean with expanding the direct use of ASTR?

The fact that ASTR has not been added in Soneium Season assets, is something I also still don’t understand. Keep in mind that the Soneium Score is not built by the Astar Foundation, where we have no say. Till today, I will keep fighting this to ensure ASTR is added and recognized in the Score. Lately some things has changed that will open up more room for ASTR to further grow in Soneium.

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Thanks, Maarten @Maarten , for the responses. These have been shared with the Korean community, and there are a few further follow-ups which I would like to share in this response. First of all, let me rephrase the second point raised in the previous post.

  • Was the burndrop mechanism really necessary to achieve the goals of the burndrop campaign? Couldn’t those goals have been achieved simply by using ASTR directly, without having such campaigns and the additional efforts of educating and convincing the community and holders?

On top of that, the following questions have been raised. These are slightly outside the scope of the phase 2 itself, so if necessary, let me re-post them in a more relevant place. This topic (Astar, Startale Labs, Soneium and the state of our ecosystem) is the one, however, it is currently closed. Revisiting it could be meaningful, if possible.

In short, from the perspective of Korean community members, consistently raising their voices, ASTR is currently being utilized for purposes that do not necessarily benefit Astar Network itself, and the reasons are described below.

  • Relationship between Astar Network and Soneium: There are concerns regarding the relationship between Astar Network and Soneium. Some members feel that there has been no strong initiative to position ASTR as one of the core assets on Soneium. Instead, ASTR seems to have been used primarily as rewards for campaigns, while many new dApps launch on Soneium rather than on Astar. This gives the impression that value is being created elsewhere, with limited benefit returning to Astar.

  • Reasons for dAppstaking: DAppstaking has been active since day one of Astar Network, yet there has not been a single prominent dApp that generates revenue or has become widely recognized. A number of dApps and projects have received large amounts of ASTR through several versions and seasons of dAppstaking, but none have delivered meaningful outcomes. In addition, recently, native Soneium dApps have started to be listed on dAppstaking. Because of this, it has become increasingly important to clarify how the relationship between Astar Network and Soneium is mutually beneficial, and in what way Soneium can contribute to Astar Network’s long-term growth.

  • Identity and long-term growth of Astar Network: There is uncertainty regarding the identity and the long-term direction of Astar Network. At this moment, there are essentially no actively running native or EVM dApps on Astar, and there is no clear roadmap or strategy presented to grow the ecosystem. Under these conditions, it is difficult to understand why the burndrop is considered one of the key pillars on the road to Phase 2.0. Startale is pushing forward by introducing new initiatives such as a USDSC and the Startale app, but there is little emphasis on Astar Network itself. This lack of alignment leaves some holders questioning how Astar Network will evolve and where its future opportunities lie.

Even there is the topic shared above, discussing these points particularly early this year, perhaps it would be beneficial, reviewing how it has been and what needs to be discussed further.

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If you look at the details of the campaign and its purpose, yes, the burndrop is the direction to achieve this. If there is any suggestion on how it could have been done differently with the same outcome, taking compliance and legal into consideration, we would like to learn. We are still open to changing our burndown direction if we can come up with something different that achieves the same outcome towards the value of ASTR. One of the reasons we have this RFC is to discover smart brains in the community that can support Astar Foundation as part of the Collective.

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Congratulations to the spokesperson and the entire Korean community for raising important questions and concerns.I find it pointless to keep debating what could be done better when almost everything is still hidden from our view: we can only speak hypothetically, and any of our ideas could be turned upside down by a single detail we simply don’t know about. For this reason, I regret to note that many of the questions raised have not yet received exhaustive answers.I fully join the call and firmly request that certain key points be clarified once and for all by the responsible figures, either here in this thread or in a dedicated one.I would also like to point out that some statements made recently only fuel doubts and confusion. I quote verbatim: “The fact that ASTR has not been added to the Soneium Season resources is something I still don’t understand. Please keep in mind that the Soneium Score is not created by the Astar Foundation, where we have no say.”
“Things have changed lately.”
Moreover, we have recently discovered that there will be an additional way to obtain one or more future tokens: not only through the ASTR burndrop, but also by simply accumulating Star points in the Startale App. While this parallel mechanism may be legitimate, it inevitably makes the burndrop (and therefore the direct use of ASTR) appear as an optional path rather than the central one.Clearly I had misunderstood (and I take full responsibility for that): I was convinced that Phase 2 would be a phase entirely focused on ASTR across all components of the ecosystem. Instead, piece by piece, it seems that ASTR is gradually losing the absolute centrality we had been led to expect.I sincerely hope for quick, official, and above all transparent clarifications. The community deserves to truly understand the direction we are heading in.

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This has not changed at all, and we have made it public in all our recent announcements. The value of ASTR is and will continue to be the main focus of this entire collective effort.

The roadmap we recently published makes this very clear: https://astar.network/blog/phase-2-roadmap-215.

The Astar Foundation is and will continue to dedicate all of its efforts to the collective goal of increasing the value of ASTR. That is our north star and direction.

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Hi Maarten, I understood pithecus’ questions about the necessity of the burndrop to mean something quite specific that I’m not sure you’ve addressed, so I will have another go at asking myself.

Was the burndrop mechanism really necessary to achieve the goals of the burndrop campaign? Couldn’t those goals have been achieved simply by using ASTR directly

At a high level the burndrop plan is to

  1. burn ASTR
  2. be eligible for further unknown things (we speculate on what this could be; maybe new tokens, but who knows yet)
  3. this unknown thing has some sort of utility somewhere
  4. those who don’t burn their ASTR still have a reason to hold it, but it sounds like the core teams are very keen for ASTR holders to burn, which must mean something…

The question from pithecus is then about why couldn’t the utility of the thing we get for burning ASTR simply be made into utility for ASTR instead? For example, if the thing we get for burning ASTR is a new token on Soneium or a Soneium partner, why can’t ASTR simply be used in place of that new token wherever it plans to sit in the ecosystem? This would generate for demand for ASTR in order to use that partner’s services.

Finally, I have another separate question. You’ve alluded to legal and compliance constraints in your message above:

If there is any suggestion on how it could have been done differently with the same outcome, taking compliance and legal into consideration, we would like to learn.

Could you link/share content on the compliance and legal factors that are relevant to how new projects may or may not be able to easily just ‘accept ASTR’ as is, and or for Startale to use/promote ASTR more freely?

I have a hunch that it’s within the legal/compliance area that perhaps many other questions and frustrations related to ASTR’s journey so far would get answered.

Thank you!

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To answer to your question why ASTR simply can’t be used in place of that new token is that Astar Foundation has no decision power over that new token or is part of that foundation that will be set up. Astar Foundation has been looking for a way to strengthen the value of the ASTR token by giving it extra utility by closing collaborations with external partners that have their own business. If ASTR will be used in that place, I don’t think Astar Foundation can fund that business with ASTR token. Adding ASTR as payment token in certain products, thats something we are actively trying to achieve where we are in the final phases of closing some deals.

There is no compliance and legal factors that block anything related to what you share because Astar Foundation doesn’t need to take care of projects compliance. The legal part I was mentioning is related to burning, airdrop, etc… this all comes with legal and compliance work from Astar Foundation side to ensure everything happens in legal framework. Hope this clearifies?

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Thanks Maaten, this does make sense, but I have another question.

If the Astar Foundation has no decision power on the new token/project, then how is it able to guarantee any ‘reward’ for participating in the burndrop?

Surely there must be collaboration of some kind going on whereby an entity agrees to give X to any wallets that deposit into the ASTR burn, which comes in exchange for nothing since the ASTR is burned.

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Thats how relationship and partnership are build. Decision power vs agreements is not the same. We do have agreements in place that guarantee those rewards. Those agreements doesn’t give us full ownership over the token itself.

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