Astar Family
Prior to commencing development, it's important to understand the Astar Network family, and choose an appropriate network based on what you would like to do. Currently, there are a number of networks available, including the Local network which runs exclusively within your development environment. All networks support Substrate and EVM RPCs.
Local Networks
Substrate Node
You can clone the Astar repository and run the local node provided, or download the precompiled binary and run it, instead. Both methods are described in the Build section.
Zombienet
With Zombienet users can download arbitrary Relay Chain and parachain binaries (or use images) to setup a configurable local test network. Users will have access to all privileged actions on the Relay Chain and parachains, which simplifies testing. For more information about Zombienet, check out the Build Environment chapter.
Testnets
Shibuya (Substrate)
Shibuya has nearly the same chain specifications as Shiden & Astar, and provides an ideal environment for developers to test and debug, prior to launching their dApp on mainnet. Shibuya is running as a parachain of the Tokio Relay Chain, which is managed internally by the Astar team, and supports Shibuya, only, as test parachain.
The Shibuya native token symbol is SBY.
To obtain test tokens from the faucet, please visit the Astar Portal and connect to Shibuya. If for any reason the faucet is empty, please contact the Astar team on Discord.
zKyoto (Sepolia) (Deprecated)
zKyoto was connected to the Ethereum Sepolia testnet and Polygon AggLayer. Testing ground for dApps deployed on the Astar zkEVM. This testnet has now been transitioned to Soneium Minato.
Mainnets
Astar Collective, with the ASTR token, supports three mainnets:
- Astar Network (Parachain)
- Astar zkEVM (soon to be deprecated)
- Soneium
Astar Network (Parachain)
Astar parachain is connected to Polkadot Relay chain supporting WASM & EVM smart contract deployments. The Astar native token symbol is ASTR.
Astar zkEVM (Deprecated)
Astar zkEVM was an Ethereum Layer 2 network, powered by Polygon CDK. Technically referred to as Validium, combining zk rollup technology with modular data availability. Next phase for Astar zkEVM is the transition to Soneium.
Soneium
Soneium is a next-generation blockchain ecosystem designed to invoke emotion and empower creativity. It was founded by Sony Group Corporation, a global technology leader, and Startale, a Web3 innovator. Soneium stands as a versatile, general-purpose blockchain ready to serve diverse needs across all verticals and support users globally. Astar and it's token ASTR will play a crucial role in the ecosystem as driven asset.