Key Highlights
- Aster launched its Mainnet, a new Layer 1 blockchain that keeps all trades private by default.
- The chain is designed for high speed, handling over 100,000 transactions per second with 50ms block times and no gas fees.
- Aster is now the third-largest perpetual DEX, and its ASTER token trades around $0.76 with a $1.88 billion market cap.
Aster, a trading platform backed by YZi Labs, has officially launched its Aster Chain Mainnet, a new Layer 1 blockchain designed to protect traders’ information while enabling fast and efficient trading.
According to the release, the rollout will occur in phases. The genesis phase is now live, followed by a partnership announcement scheduled for March 18, public staking for ASTER token holders, and a broader ecosystem expansion program.
Aster Chain is connected to BNB Chain but runs on its own with an aim to give both professional and retail traders an easy trading experience.
According to the team, privacy is built into the system from the start, using zero-knowledge encryption and unique stealth addresses to hide orders and wallet connections.
“Transparency between a protocol and its users is a fundamental feature, but transparency between a trader and their competitors is a critical vulnerability,” said Leonard, CEO at Aster. “Aster Chain is the only architecture that treats privacy as a fundamental requirement for a fair market, neutralizing predatory attacks at the base layer.”
Preventing position hunting and public exposure
In decentralized finance, all trades are usually visible on the blockchain. While this helps users verify transactions, it can expose large positions to attacks that can be spotted and attacked by other traders in what is called position hunting.
The team mentioned an incident in March 2025 where a $375 million BTC short trade was attacked because everyone could see it. Aster Chain is designed to prevent this by keeping orders hidden. Traders who want to share their trade information can do so with a Viewer Pass, which only allows people they choose to see it.
Speed and cost structure comparable to centralized exchanges
Aster Chain aims to combine the speed of a centralized exchange with decentralized principles like self-custody and permissionless access. The chain can handle over 100,000 transactions per second, with block times of just 50 milliseconds, and there are no gas fees.
It also connects to BNB Chain through a native bridge and uses proprietary oracles for accurate price data. Beyond trading, Aster is inviting developers to build new DeFi products and specialized vaults through the Aster Code program. The mainnet launch also introduces a staking program to reward early supporters and liquidity providers.
A growing market of perpetuals trading
The launch comes as on-chain perpetual continues to expand. Aster is currently the third largest perpetual DEX after Hyperliquid, with $3.26 billion in trading volume over the past 24 hours, according to data from DefiLlama.
Meanwhile, the ASTER token, introduced in September 2025, is trading around $0.7606, up 5.11% in the last 24 hours. This surge is a result of a 128% surge in its trading activity during the same period, reaching about $334 million in volume, with a market cap of $1.88 billion, according to data from CoinMarketCap.
Also Read: XRP Ledger Crosses 7.7 Million Non-Empty Wallets in Historic Milestone
