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- Japan’s Astar Network has become the first blockchain to fully implement the SuperchainERC20 standard for its native token, ASTR.
- The SuperchainERC20 standard makes it easier for assets like ASTR to move across Optimism’s Superchain and freely across different networks.
Astar Network, which launched its mainnet to the public back in January 2022, is making major strides in blockchain interoperability. Its latest move: integrating Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP), which now allows its native token, ASTR. This positions ASTR as one of the first interoperable tokens within the OP Superchain, as Astar pushes toward a more connected, multichain future.
Chainlink’s CCIP acts like a secure bridge, using a combination of its oracle network and Risk Management Network to deliver enterprise-grade, level‑5 security for cross-chain transactions. In simple terms, it ensures tokens and data can travel across blockchains safely and reliably.
“We’re excited to see Astar adopt Chainlink CCIP to enable secure cross-chain transfers of its ASTR token,” said Sean Chung, Blockchain Partnerships Manager at Chainlink Labs.
This marks a significant step in expanding Astar’s reach across the multichain ecosystem, and it’s being done in a highly secure and dependable way.
Developer Confidence & Liquidity Growth
Thanks to Chainlink’s CCIP integration, ASTR tokens can now move smoothly between Astar, Sony’s Soneium Layer-2, and any network in the Optimism Superchain. As per Astar’s article, this is powered by two types of smart contracts, BurnMintTokenPool and LockReleaseTokenPool, which manage how tokens are transferred across chains.
For Astar, the system uses a burn-and-mint model: when you send ASTR from Astar to Soneium, the tokens are locked on Astar, and an equal amount is freshly minted on Soneium. To keep everything secure, Astar has strict role-based access controls in place. Only trusted systems, like Chainlink’s token pools and certain parts of the Superchain infrastructure, can mint or burn ASTR, and those permissions are tightly managed using OpenZeppelin’s security tools.
What does this unlock? ASTR can now be used more broadly across DeFi apps and platforms built on Ethereum (ETH), Polkadot (DOT), and Optimism. Token transfers between networks are fast and simple, often just a couple of clicks. This setup also enables shared liquidity across ecosystems, giving developers more room to build cross-chain apps.
In essence, ASTR is moving from a Polkadot-native token into a flexible, multichain asset that can power decentralized innovation. OP Labs’ product manager Zain Bacchus praised the development as “an ideal foundation for DeFi growth across Ethereum and the Superchain.”
Astar has taken a major step forward by launching Chainlink’s CCIP for its ASTR token using the SuperchainERC20 standard, essentially laying the groundwork for how other tokens could integrate in the future. This rollout is part of the Astar Evolution 1.5 upgrade, which focuses on expanding interoperability, scaling token utility, and transitioning from centralized operations to a more community-driven model through Decentralized Governance V1.
Inspired by Polkadot’s approach, Astar’s governance framework is now structured around three main councils: the Main Council, the Technical Committee, and the Community Council, each playing a key role in guiding the network’s growth and decision-making.
According to Astar Foundation Head Maarten Henskens, the integration of CCIP will provide developers with the necessary tools to build secure, scalable cross-chain applications, while also bringing ASTR into the hands of a broader developer community.
