As Astar Evolution 2.0 approaches, the Foundation has published an RFC (Request for Comments) to introduce one of the most discussed ideas in Astar Network’s history: the Burndrop. This is a new concept for Astar — a proposal that, much like the 2019 Lockdrop, could mark a new chapter for both the community and the $ASTR economy.

This article summarizes the main points of the proposal and the answers provided by Maarten and the team to help the community understand its direction, objectives, and implications.

Since 2019, Astar has stood out for its bold choices:

• Lockdrop instead of ICO, rewarding long-term commitment over fundraising.

• Technical and community evolution, from Plasm to one of the most solid parachains in Polkadot.

• Opening to the EVM and new ecosystems, culminating in the launch of Astar zkEVM and later its migration to Soneium (a Layer2 created by Startale in collaboration with Sony).

• Onchain governance and interoperability, with Chainlink CCIP and the adoption of increasingly decentralized models.

Now, with Phase 2 approaching, the Foundation is proposing a new step forward: the Burndrop.

The Burndrop is a voluntary initiative that will allow $ASTR holders to burn their tokens in exchange for new token(s) (to be defined) connected to the Startale ecosystem.

🔹 Important note: This initiative related to the Burndrop does not concern tokens issued by Startale or the Astar Foundation, nor tokens from Soneium dApps. The Startale ecosystem consists of a variety of blockchains to which Startale contributes, currently including Astar and Soneium. Other initiatives can be found on the Startale blog.

The goal is to reduce the circulating supply of $ASTR, creating greater scarcity and, consequently, strengthening its long-term value.

🔗 In summary:

• It is not a mandatory token swap.

• $ASTR remains the main token and will not be replaced.

• Non-participants lose nothing.

• Participants will receive new token(s) linked to a different ecosystem.

If the Lockdrop rewarded loyalty over time, the Burndrop rewards conviction. It’s a way to give the community the opportunity to act with confidence and take part in a new chapter of Startale and Astar’s shared vision.

“The Burndrop is an invitation, not an obligation. It’s a signal of trust and supply discipline.”

The Foundation has not yet finalized dates, parameters, or thresholds. However, some guidelines have already been shared in the forum:

• Voluntary and irreversible event: no obligations or forced conversions.

• Fairness for all holders: mechanisms are being explored to ensure balanced participation (limits, tiers, or multiple rounds).

• Common goal: reduce supply, strengthen $ASTR, and maintain a base of “diamond hands.”

No. $ASTR remains the main token of the Astar Network and continues to serve all its Layer 1 functions. The Burndrop simply offers an additional, optional opportunity to obtain new token(s) tied to a different Startale ecosystem project.

Nothing changes. Those who choose not to burn their $ASTR retain all its usual functions and utilities (staking, governance, onchain usage). The only difference is that, as the overall supply decreases, each $ASTR becomes scarcer.

The Foundation is considering several mechanisms:

• participation limits to avoid concentration,

• multiple rounds to broaden access,

• public onchain dashboards for transparency,

• potential “test events” before the official launch.

All details will be presented after a review phase based on community feedback.

Before any action, the Foundation will publish a complete description of the tokens with guided links to tokenomics, eligibility rules, timelines, and the technical process. No burn operation will begin until everyone has full clarity and enough time to make an informed decision.

“Since we will receive many tokens from a new project, we plan to allocate them to the Burndrop to give weakhands an exit opportunity, while simultaneously reducing supply and maintaining a solid base of Diamondhands. This will allow us to continue Phase 2 on stronger and more motivated foundations.”

The Burndrop represents one of the most ambitious ideas ever proposed by Astar — a combination of supply reduction, new opportunities for holders, and renewed long-term trust in the network’s vision.

It is not yet a final decision, but rather a call to the community to help shape the design of the Burndrop.

The real decision will come once the full picture becomes clear: on one side, the tokenomics, utility, and which ecosystem the new token(s) obtained by burning $ASTR will belong to; and on the other side, the direction of Astar in Phase 2, which seems to be the most important update ever made in the history of Astar Network.

📢 The discussion is still open: Anyone can share feedback in the official Astar Network forum thread 👉 https://forum.astar.network/t/request-for-comments-astar-evolution-phase-2/9045/28 Every opinion will help shape the future of this proposal — and the future of $ASTR itself.

🧭 Stay informed Follow the official X accounts for direct updates:

• @AstarNetwork

• @StartaleGroup

As Astar Evolution 2.0 approaches, the Foundation has published an RFC (Request for Comments) to introduce one of the most discussed ideas in Astar Network’s history: the Burndrop. This is a new concept for Astar — a proposal that, much like the 2019 Lockdrop, could mark a new chapter for both the community and the $ASTR economy.

This article summarizes the main points of the proposal and the answers provided by Maarten and the team to help the community understand its direction, objectives, and implications.

Since 2019, Astar has stood out for its bold choices:

• Lockdrop instead of ICO, rewarding long-term commitment over fundraising.

• Technical and community evolution, from Plasm to one of the most solid parachains in Polkadot.

• Opening to the EVM and new ecosystems, culminating in the launch of Astar zkEVM and later its migration to Soneium (a Layer2 created by Startale in collaboration with Sony).

• Onchain governance and interoperability, with Chainlink CCIP and the adoption of increasingly decentralized models.

Now, with Phase 2 approaching, the Foundation is proposing a new step forward: the Burndrop.

The Burndrop is a voluntary initiative that will allow $ASTR holders to burn their tokens in exchange for new token(s) (to be defined) connected to the Startale ecosystem.

🔹 Important note: This initiative related to the Burndrop does not concern tokens issued by Startale or the Astar Foundation, nor tokens from Soneium dApps. The Startale ecosystem consists of a variety of blockchains to which Startale contributes, currently including Astar and Soneium. Other initiatives can be found on the Startale blog.

The goal is to reduce the circulating supply of $ASTR, creating greater scarcity and, consequently, strengthening its long-term value.

🔗 In summary:

• It is not a mandatory token swap.

• $ASTR remains the main token and will not be replaced.

• Non-participants lose nothing.

• Participants will receive new token(s) linked to a different ecosystem.

If the Lockdrop rewarded loyalty over time, the Burndrop rewards conviction. It’s a way to give the community the opportunity to act with confidence and take part in a new chapter of Startale and Astar’s shared vision.

“The Burndrop is an invitation, not an obligation. It’s a signal of trust and supply discipline.”

The Foundation has not yet finalized dates, parameters, or thresholds. However, some guidelines have already been shared in the forum:

• Voluntary and irreversible event: no obligations or forced conversions.

• Fairness for all holders: mechanisms are being explored to ensure balanced participation (limits, tiers, or multiple rounds).

• Common goal: reduce supply, strengthen $ASTR, and maintain a base of “diamond hands.”

No. $ASTR remains the main token of the Astar Network and continues to serve all its Layer 1 functions. The Burndrop simply offers an additional, optional opportunity to obtain new token(s) tied to a different Startale ecosystem project.

Nothing changes. Those who choose not to burn their $ASTR retain all its usual functions and utilities (staking, governance, onchain usage). The only difference is that, as the overall supply decreases, each $ASTR becomes scarcer.

The Foundation is considering several mechanisms:

• participation limits to avoid concentration,

• multiple rounds to broaden access,

• public onchain dashboards for transparency,

• potential “test events” before the official launch.

All details will be presented after a review phase based on community feedback.

Before any action, the Foundation will publish a complete description of the tokens with guided links to tokenomics, eligibility rules, timelines, and the technical process. No burn operation will begin until everyone has full clarity and enough time to make an informed decision.

“Since we will receive many tokens from a new project, we plan to allocate them to the Burndrop to give weakhands an exit opportunity, while simultaneously reducing supply and maintaining a solid base of Diamondhands. This will allow us to continue Phase 2 on stronger and more motivated foundations.”

The Burndrop represents one of the most ambitious ideas ever proposed by Astar — a combination of supply reduction, new opportunities for holders, and renewed long-term trust in the network’s vision.

It is not yet a final decision, but rather a call to the community to help shape the design of the Burndrop.

The real decision will come once the full picture becomes clear: on one side, the tokenomics, utility, and which ecosystem the new token(s) obtained by burning $ASTR will belong to; and on the other side, the direction of Astar in Phase 2, which seems to be the most important update ever made in the history of Astar Network.

📢 The discussion is still open: Anyone can share feedback in the official Astar Network forum thread 👉 https://forum.astar.network/t/request-for-comments-astar-evolution-phase-2/9045/28 Every opinion will help shape the future of this proposal — and the future of $ASTR itself.

🧭 Stay informed Follow the official X accounts for direct updates:

• @AstarNetwork

• @StartaleGroup