Astar Evolution: What? How?

Everybody, calm down, please! Lots of excitement around the Soneium announcement, well timed to co-incide with the WebX 2024 conference, hosted by CoinPost. The hype was overwhelming, and we felt like the scarce minority of the few who where asking “why?” That question is primarily driven by Sony Block Solutions Labs being a 90/10 joint venture between Sony Network Communications and Startale Labs, and the news release not being very clear about tangible benefits for ASTR holders (and the token showing only a mild reaction), therefore the question looms whether the “CEO” of the Astar blockchain had just been moonlighting on another project for a year or more. Jack Dorsey split his time between Twiter and Square (now Block). Is Sota Watanabe splitting his time between Sony/Soneium and Astar?

In the back of our mind, we also still have the comments from some of the participants of the 2023 Sony/Startale Labs/Astar Web3 incubation program that had selected 19 startups out of 200 applicants. This was clearly early days for Sony in Web3, with the organizational approach just about taking shape, and we heard concerns at demo day that the whole affair was more an extraction of knowledge from Web3 natives to on-ramp Sony’s fledgling efforts than of much benefit to the participants. The participants, who also did not receive any support for their travel to attend demo day. We shall now see how many (if any) of the 2023 participants will re-appear in the newly launched Soneium Spark Incubation Program.

With that as background, we will hold off on our “why” question for a moment, and focus on the “what” and “how”. The Astar braintrust held an “Astar Evolution Phase 1 Kickoff Event” on YouTube, and before we are rushing to any judgement, we will aim to understand what has been proposed. So here we go.

Key Takeaways

• Astar Evolution Phase 1: Astar Network announces its strategic transition to Soneium, an Ethereum Layer-2 solution developed in a joint venture between Sony Block Solutions Labs, Startale, and the Sony Group. This move is seen as a significant step towards achieving Astar’s mission of connecting the world to Web3.
• Transition Process: The transition from Astar zkEVM to Soneium will occur in three phases. Phase 1, starting immediately, involves releasing strategic incentive initiatives and a public timeline for the transition. Phase 2, scheduled for Q4 2024, focuses on optimizing Astar zkEVM operation. Phase 3, slated for 2025, will involve the gradual closure of Astar zkEVM.
• Benefits to Astar Community: Astar’s collaboration with Sony and Startale offers several advantages to the Astar community, including early adoption opportunities in the Soneium ecosystem, potential for new utilities of the ASTR token, and access to Sony’s vast distribution channels and user base.
• Astar Network Roadmap 2024: The roadmap for Astar Network on the Polkadot side includes enhancements to on-chain governance for a more decentralized and community-driven approach, Polkadot-SDK uplift and implementation of new features, and improved safety and emergency handling mechanisms.
• Focus on Mission Alignment: A recurring theme throughout the discussion is the alignment between Astar, Startale, and Sony in terms of vision, culture, and commitment to onboarding the next billion users to Web3.

Astar Evolution Phase 1: Connecting to Web3 Through Sony

Astar Network has announced a significant development: the Astar Evolution Phase 1, marking a strategic transition towards Soneium, an Ethereum Layer-2 solution. Soneium is the product of a joint venture between Sony Block Solutions Labs, Startale, and the Sony Group. This move is considered a major leap towards achieving Astar’s primary objective: connecting the world to Web3. The decision to collaborate with Sony and Startale was driven by a shared vision of promoting Web3 adoption on a global scale.

Soneium’s strategic positioning within the Ethereum ecosystem, a leading platform in the blockchain space, coupled with Sony’s global reach and brand recognition, provides a unique opportunity to introduce Web3 technologies to a broader audience. This partnership is expected to significantly accelerate the growth of the Astar ecosystem by leveraging the strengths of both entities.

Navigating the Transition: A Three-Phase Approach

The transition from Astar’s current zkEVM to Soneium is designed to be a smooth and phased process, ensuring minimal disruption to the existing Astar community and ecosystem. The transition will unfold in three distinct phases:

Phase 1: Setting the Stage for Transition (August 2024 — Beginning of October 2024)

Phase 1 commenced with the announcement of the Astar Evolution strategy. This phase primarily involves outlining strategic incentive initiatives to encourage community participation and laying out a clear public timeline for the entire transition process. The Astar Foundation will actively engage with the community, seeking input and feedback to ensure a smooth migration. The strategic incentive initiatives will focus on enhancing the utility of the ASTR token across both the Astar Network and the Soneium ecosystem.

Phase 2: Optimizing the Current System (Q4 2024)

During the last quarter of 2024, the focus will shift to optimizing the operations of the existing Astar zkEVM. This will involve fine-tuning chain parameters, addressing any potential issues, and ensuring network stability. This phase is critical to maintain a robust and efficient platform during the transition period.

Phase 3: A Gradual Closure (2025)

The final phase, expected to begin in 2025, will see the gradual closure of Astar zkEVM. This will be a controlled process, allowing ample time for users and projects to migrate their assets and operations to the Soneium L2 platform. Detailed project guidance and user guides will be provided throughout this phase to support a seamless transition.

It’s important to emphasize that while Astar zkEVM will eventually be sunsetted, Astar Network will remain active and will continue to be developed and supported on the Polkadot side. This transition is about expanding the Astar ecosystem to encompass a wider user base and achieve its ambitious goal of widespread Web3 adoption.

Empowering the Astar Community

The collaboration between Astar Network and Sony, facilitated through Startale and the creation of Soneium, presents significant benefits for the Astar community. These benefits extend beyond technical advancements and delve into creating opportunities for community engagement and value creation:

Early Adopter Advantage

The Astar community will have a first-mover advantage in the emerging Soneium ecosystem. This translates into early access to new projects, DApps, and initiatives, particularly those focused on DeFi (Decentralized Finance) and SocialFi. This early participation allows the Astar community to actively shape the direction and growth of the Soneium platform.

Expanding Utility of the ASTR Token

The Astar Foundation is committed to creating new utilities for the ASTR token across both the Astar Network and Soneium. This could involve integrating ASTR into governance mechanisms, incentivizing participation in community initiatives, and fostering a robust ecosystem around the token. These initiatives aim to increase the value and relevance of ASTR within the broader Web3 landscape.

Leveraging Sony’s Global Reach

Sony’s extensive distribution channels, global brand recognition, and massive user base provide unparalleled opportunities for the Astar ecosystem to reach a wider audience. This partnership will drive Web3 adoption by introducing blockchain technologies to users unfamiliar with the space. Sony’s commitment to this venture signals a strong belief in the potential of Web3 and its ability to reshape the digital landscape.

Astar Network’s Path Forward: Building on Polkadot

While Soneium will focus on expanding into the Ethereum ecosystem, Astar Network will continue its development on the Polkadot side. The Astar Network roadmap for 2024 highlights key areas of focus aimed at enhancing the platform’s functionality, security, and user experience:

On-Chain Governance

Astar Network is committed to strengthening its on-chain governance framework, moving towards a more decentralized and community-driven approach. This will involve implementing new governance mechanisms that empower the community to actively participate in decision-making processes. These changes will further solidify Astar’s position as a community-centric platform.

Polkadot-SDK Uplift and New Features

The roadmap includes plans to enhance the Polkadot-SDK, incorporating async backing, Coretime testing and integration, and exploring the integration of the new JAM model proposed by Gavin Wood. These upgrades will focus on improving network responsiveness, enhancing scalability, and enabling the platform to handle higher volumes of transactions, ensuring a more efficient and robust platform.

Safety and Emergency Handling

A key priority for Astar Network is maintaining a secure and reliable platform. To this end, the roadmap includes implementing measures to enhance safety and emergency handling capabilities. This involves integrating transaction-pause and safe-mode pallets into the network. These measures will enable the network to effectively respond to and mitigate potential emergencies, ensuring the security of user assets and the stability of the network.

The Power of Alignment: Culture, Vision, and Long-Term Goals

A significant aspect of the Astar Evolution strategy, and specifically the collaboration with Sony and Startale, is the strong alignment between these entities in terms of their long-term vision, shared values, and cultural fit. This alignment is crucial for the success of this ambitious endeavor:

A Shared Vision for Web3 Adoption

Astar, Startale, and Sony share a common goal: to bring Web3 technologies to a broader audience, fostering widespread adoption and realizing the transformative potential of blockchain. This alignment ensures a unified effort towards achieving this shared vision, leveraging the unique strengths of each organization.

A Culture of Innovation and Collaboration

The teams at Astar and Startale are deeply passionate about blockchain technology and its potential to revolutionize various industries. This shared passion creates a culture of innovation and collaboration, which is further strengthened by Sony’s commitment to supporting and developing Web3 technologies. This collaborative spirit will drive the development of groundbreaking solutions that benefit both the Astar and Soneium ecosystems.

A Long-Term Commitment to Growth

The strategic partnership between Astar, Startale, and Sony goes beyond short-term gains. This is a long-term commitment to building a robust and sustainable ecosystem that will drive the growth of Web3. The plan to leverage Sony’s global reach and resources, combined with Astar’s existing strengths in the Web3 space, demonstrates a vision that extends far beyond current market trends, focusing on building a future where blockchain technology plays a central role in shaping the digital world.

Soneium: A Bridge Between Web2 and Web3

Soneium’s introduction as an Ethereum Layer-2 solution marks a strategic move to bridge the gap between Web2 and Web3. While Astar Network will continue its development on the Polkadot side, Soneium will play a vital role in bringing blockchain technology to mainstream users. Soneium will not have its own token, relying instead on ETH (Ethereum) as its gas token, further solidifying its integration within the Ethereum ecosystem.

This strategic decision highlights the commitment to leveraging existing infrastructure and communities within the broader blockchain space to achieve its goal of mass adoption. By choosing the OP Stack for Soneium’s development, Startale and Sony demonstrate a focus on security, scalability, and interoperability. These are key factors in building a platform that can handle the demands of mainstream adoption.

Astar’s collaboration with Sony goes beyond simply migrating its zkEVM to Soneium. The Astar Foundation is actively working on initiatives to connect Astar Network closely with Soneium, fostering a symbiotic relationship between the two ecosystems. This will involve strategic partnerships, incentivizing developers to build on Soneium, and exploring new utilities for the ASTR token within the Soneium ecosystem. The goal is to create a vibrant and interconnected Web3 landscape that benefits both Astar and Soneium.

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