Elevated risk — small Data Availability Committee, permissioned relayer with no fallback, and multi-chain fragmentation create material concerns, partially offset by the Sony partnership and clean security track record.
Top Risks
1
Astar zkEVM uses a Data Availability Committee (DAC) with fewer than 5 external members (5/3 threshold), meaning a small group of entities can collude with the proposer to finalize state based on unavailable data, potentially causing loss of funds.
2
The relayer role in the DA bridge is permissioned with no Security Council or governance mechanism to replace it. If the relayer fails, the DA bridge halts and cannot recover without centralized intervention, creating a single point of failure.
3
Astar operates across multiple execution environments (Polkadot parachain, zkEVM via Polygon CDK, Soneium via Sony partnership) which fragments developer attention and TVL. The zkEVM has very low TVL relative to its ambitions, suggesting limited organic adoption.
4
The ASTR token has been inflationary (~665M/year) with a market cap that has declined significantly. Tokenomics 3.0 (fixed 10.5B supply cap) is planned for early 2026 but requires a governance vote, creating uncertainty about the inflation trajectory.
Risk Breakdown
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Astar Network safe to use?
Astar Network receives a B- risk grade (34/100) from Hindenrank, where lower scores indicate lower risk. Elevated risk — small Data Availability Committee, permissioned relayer with no fallback, and multi-chain fragmentation create material concerns, partially offset by the Sony partnership and clean security track record. Astar Network is a multi-chain ecosystem operating a Polkadot parachain and an Ethereum L2 (Astar zkEVM built with Polygon CDK), with a strategic partnership with Sony for the Soneium L2. With approximately $30M in TVL across its chains and a Japan-focused positioning, it is a mid-tier infrastructure project. Its C grade reflects centralization risks from a small Data Availability Committee (fewer than 5 external members), a permissioned DA bridge relayer with no governance fallback, and fragmentation risk from operating across three different chains. The protocol has no history of exploits and benefits from the Sony partnership, but the low TVL, inflationary tokenomics, and multi-chain strategy challenges drive the elevated risk assessment.
What are the main risks of using Astar Network?
The key risks identified for Astar Network are: (1) The Astar zkEVM uses a Data Availability Committee with fewer than 5 external members and a 3/5 signing threshold. L2BEAT notes this means a small group can collude with the sequencer to finalize state based on unavailable data, potentially causing loss of funds. (2) The DA bridge relayer is a permissioned role with no Security Council or governance mechanism to replace it. If the relayer goes offline, the entire DA bridge halts and cannot recover without centralized intervention, freezing user funds on the zkEVM. (3) Astar's ecosystem is fragmented across three chains: the Polkadot parachain, Astar zkEVM, and Soneium (Sony partnership). Each has relatively low TVL, which thins liquidity and splits developer attention, creating execution risk for the multi-chain strategy. (4) The ASTR token is currently inflationary at approximately 665 million tokens per year. While Tokenomics 3.0 plans to cap supply at 10.5 billion, this requires a governance vote that has not yet been executed, and the transition could disrupt dApp staking reward economics.
What is Astar Network's risk score breakdown?
Astar Network scores 34/100 across eight risk dimensions: Mechanism Novelty: 3/15, Interaction Severity: 8/20, Oracle Surface: 0/10, Documentation Gaps: 4/10, Track Record: 3/15, Scale Exposure: 3/10, Regulatory Risk: 6/10, Vitality Risk: 7/10. The highest risk area is Vitality Risk at 7/10.
How does Astar Network compare to other L2 protocols?
Among 37 rated L2 protocols on Hindenrank, Astar Network ranks #15 by safety (lowest risk score = safest). Its 34/100 risk score and B- grade place it in the middle tier of L2 protocols.
Has Astar Network ever been hacked or exploited?
Astar Network scores 3/15 on the Track Record risk dimension, indicating some history of security incidents or exploits. Higher scores reflect more severe or frequent incidents. Review the full risk report for details.