Astar Parachain
The Beginner's Guide

Astar Network is a scalable smart contract platform on Polkadot that supports layer 2 solutions.

1. PROJECT

What is Astar Crypto?
Scalable and interoperable infrastructure for web3

Astar Network is a scalable and interoperable infrastructure for Web3.0. Since the Astar Network is built on the Substrate Parity framework, it is Polkadot’s parachain that also acts as a scalable smart contract platform. Polkadot Relaychain, by design, does not support smart contracts. This allows Astar the opportunity to fill this void. Scalability is obviously one of the most important demands that dApp developers have. Ideally, developers can build any application on the Astar Network without having to consider its scalability.

Astar Network's mission

Astar Network’s mission is to provide a scalable, interoperable, and decentralized application platform that defines and realizes the new shape of the web: Web3.0.

Astar Network is a scalable smart contract platform on Polkadot that supports state-of-the-art Layer 2 solutions. It is built on Substrate and designed to be a Polkadot Parachain. Plasm Network aims to make Ethereum 2.0 on Polkadot.

Astar Network focuses on creating the best smart contract platform so that dApp developers in Polkadot don’t need to pay much attention to infrastructure and can focus more on their dApp. Ideally, developers can build any application on the Plasm Network without having to consider its scalability. Astar Network solves outstanding problems: scalability and interoperability.

Introduction to the Astar Parachain

SmartContracts

Parachain first block: 2021/12/18 03:36:25 (+UTC)

Astar Network is a dApp hub on Polkadot that supports Ethereum, WebAssembly, and layer 2 solutions like ZK Rollups. Astar aims to be a multi-chain smart contract platform that will support multiple blockchains and virtual machines.

Polkadot Relay Chain doesn’t support smart contracts. That’s why it’s important for the ecosystem to have a parachain that enables this for all developers who want to build in the Polkadot ecosystem.

Astar is here to provide the best solution for all developers by supporting EVM and making a parachain where EVM and WASM smart contracts can co-exist and communicate with each other.

Astar Dapp Staking

Instead of staking to validators, users can choose to nominate their Astar/Shiden tokens on the project. These users are also known as nominators. At every block, half of your block rewards are used for dApp staking. This reward is further divided into a 4:1 ratio between operators (developers) and nominators.

Source: Astar Network

Astar Network structure

Astar Network architecture has two layers:

The base layer is a layer-1 blockchain built using the Substrate blockchain framework.
Astar’s second layer is a scaling solution created using a fork of the Optimistic Virtual Machine (OVM) invented by the Plasma Group.