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In a groundbreaking collaboration, Astar Network, AltLayer, and EigenLayer have joined forces to implement a Fast Finality Layer for the Soneium ecosystem. This initiative marks a major step in Astar Evolution Phase 1.5, transitioning Astar into a more collective network and expanding ASTR’s role as a core staking asset powering Soneium’s infrastructure.

The Fast Finality Layer will drastically improve transaction finality, making it an essential upgrade for latency-sensitive applications in gaming, DeFi, and SocialFi.

The Purpose: From Finality Lag to Near-Instant Security

Soneium, a Layer 2 solution built on Optimism’s OP Stack, currently depends on Ethereum’s fraud-proof mechanisms for transaction settlement. While this ensures security, it introduces a delayed finality of approximately 15 minutes. This delay not only hampers user experience but also limits the ability of staking assets like ASTR to support fast-moving applications with secure finality.

The Fast Finality Layer is designed to solve this by offering finality in under 10 seconds. It adds an extra layer of security and responsiveness, serving dApps that require both high security and low latency. Beyond performance, this upgrade will improve interoperability between rollups.

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AltLayer’s MACH: The Core of Fast Finality

At the heart of this innovation is AltLayer’s MACH, a crypto-economic solution engineered for rapid finality. MACH enables real-time rollup state validation, reducing the need for centralized sequencers and achieving finality guarantees in under 10 seconds.

The MACH solution integrates seamlessly with EigenLayer’s restaking mechanism, ensuring robust decentralization and economic security. Through EigenLayer’s AVS (Actively Validated Service), ASTR and restaked ETH work together to secure the network — creating dual-token economic security and reinforcing ASTR’s expanding cross-ecosystem role.

Economic Security via ASTR & Restaked ETH: Strengthening the Layer

Security for the Fast Finality Layer hinges on the combined power of Astar’s native token, ASTR, and restaked ETH. EigenLayer’s model enables ETH validators to restake their ETH on Soneium for additional rewards, while contributing to its economic security.

ASTR will play a vital role in this security framework — enabling holders to stake directly into Soneium’s infrastructure and help validate the Fast Finality Layer.

Historically, early contributors in AVS ecosystems — particularly those staking core assets like ASTR — have found themselves strategically aligned with emerging opportunities as networks scale and new dynamics unfold.

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How to Restake ASTR and Delegate to Soneium MACH AVS

Access EigenLayer's Web Application

Navigate to app.eigenlayer.xyz and connect your web3 wallet.

Initiate Restaking

From the dashboard, locate and select ASTR from the list of supported tokens.
Click on the ‘Restake’ button associated with ASTR.

Enter Amount and Choose Operator

Enter the amount of ASTR you wish to restake.
Browse or scroll down to find an operator that supports ASTR and Soneium MACH AVS.
Note: Ensure you have sufficient ETH to cover gas fees.
As of now, operators supporting ASTR include:
- AltLayer [All AVS]
- AltLayer
- Oh Ottie!
- Blockscape
- stakefish
- CoinSummer Labs
Click ‘Next’, then ‘Submit’ and confirm the transaction in your wallet.
Note: Delegation is an "all or nothing" operation; you can only delegate to one operator at a time.

Review and Finalize Your Delegation

You can view and manage your restaked tokens on the EigenLayer Dashboard.
You can check all the available operators and staked tokens on the Fast Finality Layer of Soneium here.

ASTR in a Modular, Multi-Chain World

The Fast Finality Layer isn’t just a technical upgrade — it reflects Astar’s broader vision of enabling a modular, multi-chain world. As the lines between ecosystems blur, ASTR is evolving beyond its native environment and stepping into a bigger role.

ASTR is becoming more than a governance or utility token. It’s now a foundational security asset helping to validate and finalize transactions across networks like Soneium.

And for those who hold or stake ASTR, this moment may signal more than just infrastructure alignment — it may be an early path into a new layer of opportunity.

ASTR Expanding on Ethereum: A Stronger Presence

As part of this initiative, ASTR is already deployed on Ethereum and listed on Uniswap, marking a key step in establishing ASTR as an accessible staking asset on Ethereum — enabling broader participation in Soneium’s infrastructure from the Ethereum community.

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This expansion reflects ASTR’s growing presence as a cross-chain staking asset — now with greater accessibility and liquidity across Ethereum L1.

This deeper alignment with Ethereum boosts ASTR’s relevance — both as a security layer and as a potential value driver in decentralized networks.

Core Benefits of the Fast Finality Layer - Powered by ASTR

Sub-10 Second Finality: The Fast Finality Layer slashes confirmation times from ~15 minutes to under 10 seconds. This transforms the user experience for latency-sensitive apps in DeFi, gaming, NFTs, and beyond.
Decentralized Security: The integration of AltLayer’s MACH and EigenLayer’s AVS creates a trustless, decentralized finality system — secured by ASTR and restaked ETH, reducing reliance on centralized actors.
New Utility for ASTR Holders: ASTR now plays a vital role in securing external networks. Through EigenLayer’s restaking model, ASTR holders can stake their tokens to validate Soneium, potentially aligning with future economic mechanisms as the AVS landscape evolves.
Cross-Chain Positioning of ASTR: With ASTR live on Ethereum, it is now a globally accessible staking asset — supporting decentralized infrastructure across chains and enhancing its relevance in Ethereum’s broader DeFi and security landscape.

Conclusion: A New Era for ASTR in Modular Blockchain Security

The Fast Finality Layer marks more than a technical milestone — it's a strategic expansion of Astar’s vision and ASTR’s role in the decentralized ecosystem.

By helping secure Soneium’s infrastructure, ASTR evolves into a cross-chain staking asset, seamlessly integrated into modular networks through EigenLayer. This positions ASTR not only as a contributor to network security, but as a participant in a broader, interoperable future where speed, decentralization, and economic alignment converge.

As ASTR becomes more deeply embedded across ecosystems, new possibilities begin to emerge. For those holding or staking ASTR, this could be the beginning of something monumental — a quiet but powerful alignment with the next generation of network infrastructure.

This collaboration between Astar, AltLayer, and EigenLayer lays the foundation for what comes next — a faster, more secure decentralized future with ASTR at the heart of modular consensus.