Astar Network Launches “Yoki Origins”: Bridging Japanese Culture with Web3

Astar Network has announced the start of “Yoki Origins,” coinciding with the launch of its Astar zkEVM, a new Layer 2 scaling solution for Ethereum powered by Polygon. Yoki Origins is a Web3 Journey Rooted in Japanese Culture, with participation from premier Japanese firms and Web3 front-runners, each offering unique NFT collectibles.

Engaging Users Across the Astar Network

Starting today, Yoki Origins marks the debut of Astar zkEVM, inviting users to dive into the Astar Network’s ecosystem with a game-inspired experience. Alongside established Web3 projects, a variety of Japanese companies and creators will participate, distributing unique digital collectibles through their designated “Yo-Port” machines. Toy capsules are also now available on the Yoki Origins website.

The project has garnered participation from a mix of leading Japanese enterprises and key players in the Web3 space, including companies such as CASIO, Japan Airlines (JAL), and Web3 entities like Quickswap, Rarible, and DappRadar.

Central to this initiative is the Astar zkEVM, which utilizes zero-knowledge (ZK) technology to improve Ethereum’s scalability. This technology is crucial for Astar Network’s ambition to serve as a Web3 bridge for enterprises, as well as the entertainment and gaming industries. 

Yoki Origins: A Gamified Introduction to Astar zkEVM

Yoki Origins, a 2-month campaign, aims to do more than simply familiarize users with the Astar ecosystem. It immerses them in a story enriched by original characters, or “Yokis,” created by renowned Japanese illustrators.

By collecting these characters and the in-game currency “OMA,” users can unlock new experiences, evolve their Yokis, and explore the various applications within the Astar zkEVM ecosystem. OMA, representing both Omamori (a Japanese amulet) and Omake (meaning “extra” in Japanese), serves as the “virtual token” in the campaign, utilized for activities related to Yoki. As you advance, you’ll gather “Lore” (equivalent to points) and climb the ranks on the Yoki Leaderboard.

Participants have the opportunity to explore various project use cases and benefits within the Astar zkEVM ecosystem. For example, by holding particular Yoki, users unlock evolving use cases, such as premium access to the widely used Web3 dating app XO and subscriptions to DappRadar.

In celebration of the Yoki Origins launch, Astar Network is offering participants a limited opportunity to double their daily OMA acquisition, encouraging further exploration of this vibrant Web3 world. The double OMA offer ends on March 14th.