Aster Rebrands, Aims to Lead DeFi Perps Market with $258B Volume

Aster, a multi-asset liquidity hub, has officially rebranded from Astherus, marking a strategic shift towards becoming the leading decentralized perpetuals exchange (perps DEX). This rebranding effort introduces Aster’s future token ticker $AST, which will replace the current $APX token. The rebrand follows the earlier merger between Astherus and decentralized perp protocol APX Finance, which collectively processed over $258 billion in decentralized perpetual trading volume to date.

Aster introduces two seamless trading modes: Simple Mode, which offers on-chain, one-click, MEV-resistant perpetual trading, and Pro Mode, which features an advanced order book interface with deep liquidity, extremely low trading fees, and advanced trading tools. This strategic positioning aims to challenge industry leaders and includes a roadmap for integrating zero-knowledge proofs, a purpose-built Layer 1 blockchain, and intent-based architecture to simplify the DeFi trading experience.

"The rebrand is central to our ambition of leading the DeFi perps market. Our strategic focus on perpetual trading will also ensure Aster’s long-term sustainability,” said Dust, a Core Contributor of Aster. “Our roots in APX and YZi Labs gave us a strong foundation in both trading infrastructure and yield strategies. Aster will continue to prioritize top-tier user experience, liquidity, and security."

In line with its rebrand, Aster has significantly upgraded its platform, including a fully redesigned homepage, enhanced trading UI and UX with seamless switching between modes, a new fee structure with Maker 0.01% and Taker 0.035%, deep liquidity provided in partnership with top-tier market makers, a referral program offering 20% commission, and the Rh Points Program, launching within the next two weeks, where traders earn points redeemable for future airdrops. Additionally, Aster is welcoming all traders to try the platform with a special $10,000 trading campaign targeting users from other leading perp DEXs.

In the long term, Aster is building toward the launch of its own Layer 1 blockchain, optimized for trading performance, and will introduce Aster-native blockchain explorers to bring transparency and insight to on-chain trading activity. The platform will continue to support Astherus’ popular yield products under Aster Earn, including the BNB liquid staking derivative asBNB and yield-bearing stablecoin USDF.

Further ecosystem partnerships, airdrop details, and token mapping timelines will be announced in the coming weeks and months. Aster is a next-generation decentralized perpetual exchange built for everyone, offering MEV-free, one-click trading with up to 1001x leverage in Simple Mode and full-featured, pro-grade tools in Pro Mode. Backed by YZi Labs, Aster is building the future of DeFi: fast, flexible, and community-first.