Since December 2024, $vASTR has witnessed a remarkable growth in both supply and the number of holders. From the time the Soneium project launched to the ACS Campaign, the demand for liquid ASTR has surged, reflecting a clear shift in user staking behavior on the Astar Network.
⏱️ Impressive growth data (December 18, 2024 – May 30, 2025):
- Highest amount of ASTR staked: 101.5 million ASTR (on February 2)
- Staking growth: +175%
- Highest number of holders: 15,323 wallets
- Holder growth: +1300%
- Largest mint date for vASTR: January 18 with 36.9 million ASTR
👉 These numbers not only reflect the appeal of vASTR but also indicate growing confidence in the liquid staking model – a solution that allows users to stake for rewards while also flexibly using their assets in other DeFi protocols.
💡 Why are users flocking to vASTR?
1. Flexible liquidity:
No need to wait 14-28 days to unbond like traditional staking, vASTR can be traded immediately.
2. Still receive staking rewards:
Users holding vASTR continue to benefit from the original staking rewards – meaning they do not trade off profit for liquidity.
3. Capital optimization in DeFi:
vASTR is a 'productive asset', which can be used as collateral, to provide liquidity, yield farming... across various protocols.
4. Unbond options:
Users can withdraw ASTR at any time or choose to unbond according to the standard cycle if they want to save costs.
🛠️ Guide to receiving vASTR in just 3 steps:
1️⃣ Access: https://omni.ls
2️⃣ Connect wallet (Polkadot.js, Talisman, or Subwallet)
3️⃣ Stake ASTR → Receive vASTR immediately
🌐 The ecosystem is supporting vASTR
1. Kyo Finance (@kyofinance): Provide vASTR to earn yields of ~9.98% APY
2. Sonex (@sonex_so): Use vASTR for trading and collateralized loans
3. Hydration Omnipool (@hydration_net): Join native Polkadot liquidity pools to earn yields of up to 29.92%
🧠 Personal opinion
The rise of vASTR is a clear case study for the growing trend of tokenizing staking in the DeFi world. Users no longer accepting to have their capital 'locked' for long periods to receive staking rewards shows:
Liquidity and capital efficiency are becoming vital factors for layer1 blockchains like Astar.
Liquid staking products are gradually gaining an advantage thanks to their ability to turn non-yielding assets into productive assets in DeFi.
vASTR has proven that a staking protocol can both preserve staking rewards and expand usability across various protocols, thereby activating a 'flywheel effect' for the entire ecosystem.
The initial success of vASTR also raises a big question for other ecosystems like Ethereum, Avalanche, or Cosmos: Can their liquid staking protocols build a strong usage ecosystem like vASTR?