$ASTER (ASTER) is a high-performance decentralized perpetual exchange (Perp DEX) that emerged from the strategic merger of Astherus and APX Finance in late 2024. The project has quickly climbed the ranks to become a top 40 cryptocurrency by market capitalization, currently valued at approximately \$1.8 billion. Its platform is distinguished by offering extreme leverage of up to 1001x and innovative privacy features like "hidden orders," which prevent front-running by keeping trade sizes invisible until execution.
Technically, Aster is evolving from a multi-chain dApp into a dedicated Layer 1 blockchain, with the "Aster Chain" mainnet launch scheduled for March 2026. The native ASTER token serves as the backbone of the ecosystem, powering governance, staking rewards, and network transaction fees. Recent market performance has been notably bullish, with the price surging over 50\% in early February 2026 to reach levels around \$0.73. However, investors remain cautious of short-term volatility following a significant token unlock event on February 17, 2026. With strong backing from Tier-1 entities like YZi Labs, Aster is positioned as a primary competitor to major decentralized derivative platforms.
Aster (ASTER) 14-Day Candlestick Chart
The following chart illustrates the price action of Aster (ASTER) from February 4 to February 17, 2026, highlighting the significant breakout and recent consolidation period.
| Date | Open | High | Low | Close |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-17 | $0.7290 | $0.7366 | $0.7077 | $0.7085 |
| 2026-02-16 | $0.7311 | $0.7652 | $0.6971 | $0.7292 |
| 2026-02-15 | $0.7340 | $0.7439 | $0.7105 | $0.7311 |
| 2026-02-14 | $0.7267 | $0.7399 | $0.7062 | $0.7340 |
| 2026-02-13 | $0.7140 | $0.7459 | $0.6988 | $0.7268 |
| 2026-02-12 | $0.6905 | $0.7628 | $0.6834 | $0.7140 |
| 2026-02-11 | $0.6508 | $0.7190 | $0.6349 | $0.6905 |
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