Aster

Aster is a next-generation decentralized perpetual exchange created from the merger of Astherus and APX Finance in late 2024, combining Astherus's multi-asset liquidity hub capabilities with APX Finance's established perpetual trading infrastructure. Incubated and backed by YZi Labs (formerly Binance Labs), the platform gained significant momentum after Binance founder Changpeng "CZ" Zhao publicly endorsed the project and purchased 2 million ASTER tokens. The platform operates across multiple blockchains including BNB Chain, Arbitrum, Solana, and Ethereum. Aster offers two distinct trading modes: Simple Mode for beginners with one-click trade execution and up to 1001x leverage on select pairs, and Pro Mode for advanced traders featuring a classic order-book interface with advanced order types, hidden orders, and access to both crypto and tokenized stock perpetual contracts for major U.S. equities like Apple, Amazon, and Tesla with up to 50x leverage and 24/7 trading. The platform emphasizes capital efficiency through support for liquid staking tokens and yield-bearing stablecoins as margin collateral. Since its Token Generation Event on September 17, 2025, Aster has rapidly grown to become one of the top perpetual DEXs, briefly surpassing Hyperliquid in trading volume. The roadmap includes zero-knowledge proofs, a purpose-built Layer 1 blockchain, and an intent-based trading system that automates execution across chains and liquidity sources.

Aster currently has $918.34M in Total Value Locked (TVL).