Building on the previous posts outlining the structure of the Astar Collective, this post explains how governance operates within Astar.
Governance in the Astar Collective is conducted onchain through clearly defined bodies, each with specific mandates, permissions, and accountability requirements
Governance Model
Astar uses Polkadot’s governance model (Gov v1) adapted for its ecosystem. Anyone holding ASTR tokens can participate in governance by proposing, endorsing, or voting on proposals. Tokens locked in dApp Staking can also be used for governance participation.
Governance Bodies
Governance within the Astar Collective is conducted through four distinct onchain bodies:
| Governance Body | Core Function | Primary Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Main Council | Strategic governance | Direction setting, treasury oversight, governance coordination |
| Technical Committee | Technical oversight | Runtime upgrades, protocol integrity, emergency actions |
| Astar Community Council (ACC) | Community governance | dApp Staking, community programs, participation frameworks |
| Astar Finance Committee (AFC) | Financial operations | Treasury management, revenue generation, buybacks and burns |
Main Council
The Main Council serves as the primary strategic and operational governance body. It maintains alignment across governance bodies, oversees onchain treasury activity, and ensures governance decisions support the long-term direction of the ecosystem.
Responsibilities
- Define and maintain the overall governance direction of Astar
- Ensure alignment between councils and committees
- Approve onchain treasury proposals and budget allocations
- Allocate funding envelopes to the Technical Committee, ACC, and AFC
- Monitor treasury health and reporting standards
- Require regular reporting from all governance bodies
Onchain Permissions
- Change members of Main Council, Technical Committee, and Community Council (2/3 majority)
- Approve or reject Main Treasury spending proposals (2/3 majority)
- Propose external proposals for referendum (2/3 majority or unanimous)
- Cancel a passed referendum in emergency situations (2/3 majority)
The Main Council works with the Astar Foundation to translate governance decisions into coordinated execution, while maintaining governance direction and decision-making authority.
Technical Committee
The Technical Committee safeguards the technical integrity, security, and stability of the Astar Network. It acts as the final technical reviewer for protocol-level governance decisions.
Responsibilities
- Review and validate proposed runtime upgrades
- Assess security, compatibility, and performance implications of protocol changes
- Recommend or activate emergency measures when required
- Support rapid technical intervention to protect network stability
- Provide technical assessments to other governance bodies
Onchain Permissions
- Fast-track external proposals (2/3 majority for standard; unanimous for instant)
- Cancel public proposals considered harmful (2/3 majority)
- Enable or disable maintenance mode on dApp Staking (1/2 majority)
- Enter or exit Safe Mode for the chain (1/2 majority)
- Any individual member can veto an external proposal made by the Main Council
The Technical Committee coordinates with Foundation-aligned engineering teams while maintaining independence in technical validation and emergency decisions.
Astar Community Council (ACC)
The Astar Community Council governs community-facing programs and participation frameworks. It represents community interests within governance while ensuring integrity and accountability across delegated programs.
Responsibilities
- Govern dApp Staking listing, review, and delisting processes
- Oversee usage of the Community Treasury and approve funding allocations
- Manage and evaluate community initiatives and contributor programs
- Support the Astar Foundation in managing the Astar Ambassador Fellowship
- Evaluate ambassador performance and regional contributions
- Approve and distribute ambassador rewards from the Community Treasury
- Represent community perspectives in broader governance discussions
Onchain Permissions
- Register a dApp in dApp Staking (2/3 majority)
- Unregister a dApp from dApp Staking (4/5 majority)
- Execute staking operations on behalf of the Community Treasury (2/3 majority)
- Approve or reject Community Treasury spending requests (2/3 majority)
The ACC coordinates with the Foundation on community programs. The Foundation retains authority over Ambassador Fellowship program management, while the ACC maintains independent authority over compensation and reward distribution.
Astar Finance Committee (AFC)
The Astar Finance Committee is responsible for active treasury management and financial execution on behalf of the Astar Collective. It exists to ensure DAO treasury assets are deployed strategically to generate sustainable value and reduce long-term structural sell pressure.
Responsibilities
- Manage allocated DAO treasury assets under a dedicated multisig structure
- Execute approved financial strategies within defined risk parameters
- Deploy assets across lending, liquidity provision, staking, and strategic partnerships
- Explore ecosystem-aligned investment opportunities
- Execute transparent ASTR buybacks using non-ASTR revenue
- Burn or restake ASTR in line with governance direction
- Support treasury diversification to reduce volatility risk
- Publish quarterly performance reports
- Maintain public visibility into multisig wallets and transactions
The AFC operates under governance-approved mandates and reports performance to both the Foundation and the Main Council.
Token Holders
ASTR token holders are the foundation of Astar governance. Any holder can submit public proposals, endorse existing proposals, vote on referendums, delegate voting power, or request treasury payouts.
Conviction voting allows holders to amplify their vote by locking tokens for extended periods, with higher conviction increasing voting weight.
Treasury Structure
Main Treasury: Funded through inflation, spending approved by Public Referendum or Main Council (2/3 majority)
Community Treasury: Funded primarily through dApp Staking rewards, spending approved by Community Council (2/3 majority)
Summary
Astar governance operates through four specialized bodies:
- Main Council: Strategic direction, treasury oversight, cross-body coordination
- Technical Committee: Technical integrity, runtime validation, emergency response
- Community Council (ACC): dApp Staking governance, community programs
- Finance Committee (AFC): Treasury management, yield generation, buybacks
Token holders participate directly through proposals, voting, and delegation.
For detailed technical parameters, refer to the Astar Governance Documentation.
Closing
If you have questions about governance processes or how to participate, please share them in the section below.
Gaius_sama 
Astar Foundation & Main Council