Aster News Today: Aster's Buybacks Power Liquidity, Amplifying CZ-Pardon-Driven Token Surge

Aster, the decentralized exchange (DEX) backed by Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ), has announced plans to allocate 70-80% of its S3 fee revenue toward ASTER token buybacks, with the exact allocation contingent on market conditions. This strategy aims to bolster investor confidence amid a recent 15% price surge, driven by a combination of CZ's presidential pardon and the launch of Aster's Rocket Launch campaign, which incentivizes early participation in emerging crypto projects, according to a Yahoo Finance report.

The Rocket Launch initiative, unveiled on October 23, allows traders to earn rewards by meeting specific trading and holding requirements during campaign periods. Each campaign merges ASTER buybacks with project-specific tokens to create reward pools distributed proportionally based on user activity, according to a Blockonomi report. The first campaign offered $200,000 in ASTER rewards, with participants needing to maintain minimum balances in both Spot and Perpetual accounts while achieving designated trading volumes across supported pairs, per the Yahoo Finance report. This model aligns with Aster's broader goal of fostering sustained liquidity and community engagement, distinguishing it from traditional one-off token launchpads.

The price rally coincided with U.S. President Donald Trump's pardon of CZ, who had served a four-month prison sentence in 2024 for violating U.S. banking laws. The announcement, reported by DL News, sent Aster's token price surging over 20% intraday to $1.07, while Binance's native token, BNB, rose 5%. CZ's public endorsements of Aster's hybrid DEX model—combining centralized and decentralized liquidity—have further solidified market perception of the platform as a next-gen exchange, the Yahoo Finance report added.

Technical analysis highlights Aster's consolidation around $1.14, with the upper Bollinger Band at $1.16 acting as immediate resistance. While the relative strength index (RSI) at 65 signals rising momentum, short-term indicators like MACD and EMA remain in sell territory, suggesting potential volatility if volume wanes, according to Crypto.news. Whale activity appears to have amplified the rally, as trading volume dropped 5% during the 15% price breakout on October 23, per the Yahoo Finance report.

Aster's buyback strategy mirrors broader market trends, where companies like TOMRA and Arcadis have also initiated share repurchase programs to enhance shareholder value, as noted in a TradingView report and a GlobeNewswire release. However, Aster's approach is uniquely tied to ecosystem growth, with buybacks funded partly by fees from Rocket Launch campaigns. This creates a feedback loop where liquidity and token value are mutually reinforced, according to the Blockonomi report.

Despite the optimism, scrutiny persists. DefiLlama recently delisted Aster's perpetual trade volume data, citing concerns over potential wash trading inflating reported figures, as reported by DL News. The platform's ability to maintain transparency and sustain trading activity will be critical in solidifying its position against competitors like Hyperliquid.