DApp Staking v3 Explained

❗ What should you do to prepare for dApp Staking v3 migration?

All you should do to prepare for dApp Staking v3 launch is to claim your rewards. Nothing else is required from your side.

Please follow Astar official announcements prior to launch. You will find all the instructions for a smooth migration.

At Astar, we're driven by the mission to transform the internet into a freely owned space by the people, where everyone has inviolable control over their data and assets. This commitment to a user-governed internet lies at the heart of the Web3 vision that inspires us.

How is Web3 correlated with Astar’s dApp Staking? Positively.

DApp Staking is a crucial accelerator in realizing the Web3 vision, as it lays the foundation for the development of exceptional dApps for users and fuels the drive towards making Web3 accessible to all.

What is dApp Staking?

DApp Staking is Astar’s unique mechanism to financially incentivise developers. Moreover, it allows to build a strong relationship between developers, stakers and users of dApps, where everyone is rewarded.

The mechanism is simple: in dApp Staking, developers earn rewards while building their great projects and attracting supporters, while stakers earn by backing their favorite dApps.

Benefits for Developers

In the Web3 ecosystem, developers are the most valuable resource. That is why Astar considers it essential to provide developers with financial motivation and to ensure they are able to build and earn simultaneously, focusing on development without additional hustle.

Benefits for Stakers

Logically, token holders want the value of their tokens to go up. This increase in value can happen when the Network grows or when there are fewer tokens in circulation. This way, stakers can not only make their tokens more valuable over time but also earn high returns (APRs) by staking their tokens on dApps.

Benefits for the Ecosystem

DApp staking is important for making the ecosystem better and more useful. Having more and higher-quality dApps attracts and keeps more users. This leads to a growing network that increases the overall value of the ecosystem in the long run.

dApp Staking v2 vs v3

At its core, the dApp Staking mechanism will remain the same.

At the same time, this version will bring several enhancements to address the challenges and flaws in the initial protocol design, uncovered internally and by our community:

1. Scalable Rewards: Recognizing that there's a limit to how many dApps can be accommodated due to finite rewards, we aim to create a system that expands the number of supported dApps as the network's value increases.
2. Cap on Rewards: Each dApp will have a maximum limit on the rewards it can earn to ensure fair distribution.
3. Support for Newly Launched dApps: New dApps joining the staking protocol won't have to immediately compete with the most popular ones for substantial rewards, yet healthy competition is still promoted. For this purpose, tier-based reward distribution system will be introduced.
4. Increased Engagement for Stakers: We're shifting the focus to encourage stakers to take a more active approach to staking.
5. Rewards for Active Participation: Stakers who actively participate and engage will receive greater rewards.
6. Locking and Staking Separation: Locking funds allows stakers to participate in dApp staking, but locked funds won't bring any rewards. Staking means voting for a dApp and becoming eligible for earning rewards.

Let’s have a closer look at dApp Staking v3 in the following chapters.

dApp Staking v3 Explained

The concept of the dApp Staking is straightforward — users support ecosystem dApps by staking on them, and when the dApp garners sufficient backing, it receives rewards in the native currency, sourced from inflation.

Consequently, stakers are compensated with rewards for their commitment and staking efforts.

Terminology

To understand how dApp staking v3 works, it’s essential to grasp the following basics:

Era

Era is a basic time unit in dApp Staking. The length of an Era is 7200 blocks, equivalent to roughly 1 day.

Period

More lengthy time unit of dApp Staking is called Period.

To put it simply, if we consider a Period in dApp Staking, it's similar to a concept of a month in human terms , made up of several days (Eras in this case).

Please note, that this comparison does not reflect an actual duration of the Period in dApp Staking — the Periods will last longer.

❗Take into account: When a new period starts, all stakes are reset to zero.

This means, you have to re-stake your tokens (on the same or a different dApp) in the beginning of each period. Thus, beginning of every Period is a Voting phase, where stakers do not earn basic rewards. However, they are eligible for bonus rewards instead. This concept will be explained in detail in the following chapters and FAQ.

Subperiods

Each Period consists of two Subperiods:

• Voting
• Build&Earn

Continuing with our human time analogy, it's like dividing a month into two (unequal) parts – the first part can be seen as the Voting phase, and the second part is the Build&Earn phase.

Voting (Staking) Subperiod

Each Period starts with Voting (Staking) Subperiod. At this point, all stakes are reset to zero, requiring you to stake again.

🙌🏼 For stakers, it's an important time to reassess how much their selected projects contribute to the ecosystem and then decide whether to continue supporting the same projects or pick different ones to stake on.

The Voting Subperiod is the “decision making time”, when neither stakers nor dApps earn basic rewards.

However, when the stakers cast their votes during the Voting Subperiod they are eligible for bonus rewards.

Build&Earn Subperiod

Build&Earn Subperiod follows the Voting Subperiod. This is when stakers and dApps start earning basic rewards.

Time-wise, Build&Earn Subperiod consists of one or more eras (each lasts 1 day). Stakers and dApps can claim their after each era ends.

Eligibility: You have to stake for the entire era to be eligible for rewards of this era.

✅ During the Build&Earn Subperiod, users are also encouraged to stake to boost their basic staking rewards. Furthermore, they can restake their earned rewards, increasing their future earnings. The only exemption is the final era - it's not possible to stake then since the stake would be invalid.

dApp Staking v3 Parameters

Please find more parameters here: https://docs.astar.network/docs/learn/dapp-staking/protocol-parameters.

Tier System

Tier System is a method to rank dApps based on the total value staked on them.

Tier System is updated at the end of each Build&Earn Subperiod era.

There are a limited number of tiers, each with a set number of slots and a minimum threshold for dApps to qualify.

🔁 The number of available slots varies, recalculated at the start of each period, and depends on the USD value of ASTR – as ASTR's value rises, so do the slot numbers.

A dApp must gain enough support to enter a tier, with dynamic thresholds for fair competition. Higher tiers offer larger rewards.

You can always view in what tier the dApp is in the Projects Leaderboard.

Tokenomics 2.0

Tokenomics 2.0 present some changes aimed at driving the long-term success and sustainability of the Astar Network ecosystem.

Key changes include dynamically adjusting ASTR emissions with added burn mechanisms for unused tokens, increasing rewards for dApp builders, and reducing allocations to collators and the treasury for fairer distribution.

The model also aligns Native and EVM fee structures and introduces a phase-in approach to ease transition.

Overall, this approach is designed to optimize emission distribution, control inflation, and support a scalable reward system for dApp developers, contributing to a more robust and balanced economic ecosystem.

Learn more about Tokenomics 2.0:

• Tokenomics 2.0 article: https://astar.network/blog/astar-tokenomics-2.0:-driving-long-term-success-and-39068;
• Tokenomics 2.0 Forum discussion: https://forum.astar.network/t/astar-tokenomics-2-0-a-dynamically-adjusted-inflation/4924;
• Astar official documentation: https://docs.astar.network/docs/learn/tokenomics2/.

FAQ

For Stakers

What does locking the tokens mean?

Locking up funds essentially means “setting them aside” so they can be used for staking.

This is just a “status” of a token on a blockchain level. There's no need for any separate actions to lock your tokens; it's done automatically when you stake.

Please notice, that locked funds NEVER leave the staker's wallet - it's only not possible to use those funds for fee payments or transferring them.

In order to participate, user must have a MinimumLockedAmount of native currency locked.

Does locking bring rewards?

❗ Locking doesn't bring any rewards, unless tokens are staked.

Your tokens remain locked, but not staked in the following cases:

• During the migration to dApp Staking v3, when all staked tokens will be unstaked, they will remain locked. In order to withdraw these tokens, you should initiate the unlocking process (that lasts 10 days).
• The same will happen at the beginning of each period. As explained in the article, at the beginning of each period all tokens will be unstaked, but they will remain locked. Same as during migration, you will be able to re-stake them, or initiate the unlocking process.

Please remember that you have to stake during these phases to continue getting rewards.

What is staking?

Staking means voting for or nominating a dApp to receive rewards.

User's stake on a dApp must be equal or greater than the MinimumStakeAmount (50 SDN or 500 ASTR).

How do I participate in dApp Staking?

You can stake on your favorite dApp(s) on Astar Portal.

The user-friendly interface will allow you to track how many tokens you have available to stake, your stakes, accumulated rewards, current phase, and more. You can lock, unlocks, stake, unstake and move your tokens between dApps directly on the Portal.

There, you can also view information about every dApp, their communities and teams.

❗ Remember to DYOR! Use Astar Forum, DefilLama or DappRadar to get more information about the projects you are willing to stake on.

How do I unstake my tokens?

You can unstake tokens at any time without a specific process, but unstaking during an era excludes those tokens from that era's reward calculation.

Unstaking reduces the staked amount immediately for both the current and next eras. Similar to staking, you must claim all unclaimed rewards before you can unstake.

How do I unlock my tokens?

You can unlock your tokens whenever you choose. Unlocking your tokens also automatically unstakes them from any dApp they are staked on, so there is no need for a separate unstaking action.

The tokens will have to go through the unlocking process that will be initiated automatically. This is a common mechanism to mitigate selling pressure.

There's no need for any separate actions to initiate the unlocking of your tokens.

Once unlocking is complete, you can then withdraw these tokens to your free balance.

When will I start getting rewards after I stake?

If you stake during the dedicated Voting Subperiod, you qualify for bonus rewards as long as you maintain or increase your staked amount during the following Build&Earn Subperiod. Bonus rewards can be claimed after the period ends.

If you stake during any era of Build&Earn Subperiod, the staked amount is only eligible for rewards from the next era onward.

When can I claim my rewards?

You can get rewards for the eras in which the tokens were staked fully (the whole eras).

Rewards are only claimable for completed eras and can be accumulated. However, if you decide to stake more, you must claim all your rewards first.

Generally, it’s recommended to claim your rewards once a week.

What are bonus rewards?

If a staker staked on a dApp during the Voting Subperiod and keeps the same staked amount or higher on a dApp through the whole Build&Earn Subperiod, they are eligible for the bonus rewards.

Can my rewards expire?

Unclaimed rewards will eventually expire, so it's important to claim them in time or they'll miss out on earnings.

We encourage stakers’ engagement. This way, failing to actively revisit dApp staking at the start of each new period to select dApps for staking means missing out on bonus rewards and earnings.

What should you do to prepare for dApp Staking v3 migration?

All you should do to prepare for dApp Staking v3 launch is to claim your rewards. Nothing else is required from your side.

❗ Staker’s locked tokens will be migrated, but stakes WILL NOT.

As a staker, you will need to pick which dApp(s) to stake on again. It’s important to do so to continue earning rewards.

Please follow Astar official announcements prior to launch. You will find all the instructions for a smooth migration.

For Devs

How can I participate?

The process of application and registration for dApps will not change.

Please, find more information here:

• Requirements: https://docs.astar.network/docs/use/dapp-staking/for-devs/requirements;
• Registration: https://docs.astar.network/docs/use/dapp-staking/for-devs/register-dapp.

❗ Once the dApp has been registered, stakers can stake on it immediately, and it can earn rewards from the era in which it was registered.

How do I manage my dApp & claim rewards?

When you participate in dApp Staking, you have all the information about your dApp available on Astar Portal, in “Your Project” tab.

There you can find your current tier, number of stakers, total earned (total stakes) and your rewards.

How are dApps assigned to tiers?

At the end of each Build&Earn Subperiod, dApps are assigned to a tier based on the total value staked on them by users. There are 4 tiers.

The threshold for tier 4 is fixed, while it is dynamic for the other tiers.

Is the amount of dApp Staking rewards fixed per dApp?

Rewards for dApps are dynamic (tier-dependent), meaning they change from one tier to another.

The rewards of a tier are split evenly among all its slots, ensuring equal rewards for each dApp within a tier, regardless of whether all slots are filled.

For Everyone

Where can I find more information?

For more detailed information, please refer to the official Astar Docs:

• dApp Staking technical overview: https://docs.astar.network/docs/learn/dapp-staking/dapp-staking-protocol;
• For Stakers: https://docs.astar.network/docs/use/dapp-staking/for-stakers/.