Key Takeaways

CZ says Astar’s team is strong and well-positioned despite being a relatively late entrant

He views the perpetual DEX sector as a long-term industry with decades of potential

CZ says building a blockchain tailored for perp DEXs presents significant technical challenges

Changpeng Zhao has shared his latest thoughts on Astar, the competitive landscape for perpetual decentralized exchanges (perp DEXs), and the development of a new blockchain designed for the sector.

Speaking during a recent AMA, CZ clarified that his role with Astar is advisory, noting that the project is independently run by its core team.

“First of all, I’m just an advisor to Astar. They have a team that runs it,” he said.

Confidence in the Astar Team

CZ said Astar’s leadership and development team are key reasons he chose to become involved as an advisor. He described the team, led by Sota and core contributors, as aggressive and capable, while acknowledging that the project entered the market later than some competitors.

According to CZ, being a relatively late starter means Astar still has ground to cover, but a strong team can offset timing disadvantages over the long term.

“I do believe the team is quite strong. That’s why I volunteered to advise them,” he said.

Perpetual DEXs Seen as a Long-Term Sector

CZ reiterated his long-term conviction in the perpetual DEX sector, describing it as a foundational part of the crypto market that is still in its early stages.

He said the sector is likely to remain relevant for decades, regardless of which specific platforms ultimately emerge as leaders.

“I think that sector will be there 10, 20, 50 years from now,” CZ said, adding that while current leaders have an advantage, long-term winners are not yet guaranteed.

Technical Complexity of Perp DEX Blockchains

CZ also commented on the technical challenges involved in building a blockchain optimized for perpetual DEXs. He said such systems are more complex than many assume, particularly when it comes to performance, speed, and infrastructure design.

According to him, it is notable that different projects in the perp DEX space are pursuing distinct technical approaches, reflecting the difficulty of balancing scalability, latency, and reliability.

“There are quite a lot of challenges with a perp DEX blockchain technically. It’s not as simple as people think,” he said.

Different Paths Across the Sector

CZ said it is increasingly clear that teams in the perp DEX space are taking divergent paths in terms of architecture and design, underscoring that the sector is still in an exploratory phase.