Astar Network is a multi-VM smart contract platform on Polkadot that uniquely supports both EVM (Solidity) and WASM (Rust, C, AssemblyScript) execution environments — making it the most developer-inclusive smart contract parachain in the ecosystem. While Moonbeam focuses purely on EVM compatibility, Astar caters to the broader Web3 developer world, including Rust developers building WASM contracts and Ethereum developers with existing Solidity code. Astar’s flagship innovation is “dApp Staking” — a Build2Earn mechanism where dApp developers register their contracts and ASTR holders can stake tokens to specific apps, with staking rewards distributed to both the staker and the developer. This creates direct economic alignment between Astar’s security model and its developer ecosystem. Astar also partnered with Sony Network Communications and multiple Japanese enterprises, giving it unusual enterprise traction in Asia.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Ticker | ASTR |
| Price | $0.01 |
| Market Cap | $68.19M |
| 24h Change | +5.0% |
| Circulating Supply | 8.58B ASTR |
| Max Supply | 7.00B ASTR |
| All-Time High | $0.42 |
| Contract (Ethereum) | 0xf274...9689 |
How It Works
Dual VM (EVM + WASM):
Most smart contract chains choose one execution environment. Astar supports both:
- EVM: Solidity smart contracts deploy and run identically to Ethereum
- WASM: Rust-based ink! contracts or AssemblyScript contracts compile to WebAssembly for higher performance
Developers choose based on language preference and performance requirements.
dApp Staking (Build2Earn):
- Developers register their dApp contracts on Astar’s staking registry
- ASTR holders stake tokens to their favorite dApps (like staking to a protocol instead of a validator)
- Each era, staking rewards are distributed: portion to stakers, portion to the registered developer
- This means developers earn directly from on-chain staking, not just from user fees
Polkadot parachain security:
Like Moonbeam, Astar secures its network via Polkadot’s Relay Chain validator set — inheriting shared security rather than bootstrapping independent validators.
Astar zkEVM:
In 2023–2024, Astar expanded beyond Polkadot with Astar zkEVM — a ZK rollup on Ethereum (using Polygon CDK), extending its multi-VM philosophy into the Ethereum ecosystem.
Tokenomics
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Max Supply | 7,000,000,000 ASTR |
| Inflation | ~9.5% annually |
| dApp Staker rewards | ~60% of inflation |
| Collator (block producer) rewards | ~10% of inflation |
| Treasury | ~30% of inflation |
Use Cases
- Gas fees — ASTR pays transaction fees on Astar Network
- dApp Staking — Stake ASTR to earn rewards while supporting developers
- Governance — ASTR holders vote on network upgrades, parameters
- Collator staking — Delegate ASTR to block producers for consensus participation
History
- 2019 — Astar founded by Sota Watanabe as “Plasm Network” on Polkadot
- 2021 — Rebranded to Astar Network; Polkadot parachain auctions begin
- Jan 2022 — Astar wins Polkadot parachain slot; mainnet launches
- 2022 — dApp Staking live; Build2Earn model attracts over 100 registered dApps
- 2023 — Sony partnership announced; Astar zkEVM development begins
- 2024 — Astar zkEVM mainnet launches; dual-ecosystem strategy (Polkadot + Ethereum)
Common Misconceptions
“Astar and Moonbeam are the same.” Both are EVM-compatible Polkadot parachains, but Astar adds WASM support and the unique Build2Earn dApp staking model. Different technical stack and different developer incentive structures.
“WASM support means Astar is better than EVM chains.” WASM contracts offer potential performance benefits but have a steeper learning curve. Most dApp developers still prefer Solidity. Astar’s advantage is optionality, not WASM superiority.