| FEATURE | ASTER | BULK |
|---|---|---|
| Type | DEX | DEX |
| Taker Fee | 0.04% | 0.035% |
| Maker Fee | 0% | 0% |
| Max Leverage | 1001x | 40x |
| Perp Pairs | 590 | 8 |
| Spot Trading | Yes | No |
| KYC Required | No | No |
| Rating | 4.2 | 3.0 |
Aster vs BULK: key differences
Opening and closing a $10,000 position with market orders costs $7.00 on BULK and $8.00 on Aster at base-tier taker fees, a difference of $1.00 per round trip.
Aster allows up to 1001x leverage against 40x on BULK. The headline figure usually applies to a few markets only, so check the limit on the pair you trade.
Aster lists 590 perpetual markets, BULK lists 8.
Aster also has spot trading; BULK is perpetuals only.
Aster is the more liquid venue, with $668M in 24-hour volume against $21M on BULK (about 32 times more). Deeper books mean less slippage on large orders.
Neither exchange requires KYC: both are used by connecting a wallet.
Margin is posted in USDT, USDC, USD1, BTC +5 more on Aster and in USDC on BULK.
Figures as of 2026-10-04, from each exchange's documentation, CoinGecko and DeFiLlama.
Costs, liquidity and safety in detail
| Aster | BULK | |
|---|---|---|
| Taker round trip on $10,000 | $8.00 | $7.00 |
| Maker round trip on $10,000 | $0 | $0 |
| Best-tier taker fee | 0.025% | 0.022% |
| BTC max leverage | 1001x | 40x |
| Margin modes | cross, isolated | cross, isolated |
| 24h volume | $668M | $21M |
| TVL | $793M | $8M |
| Custody | non-custodial | non-custodial |
| Collateral | USDT, USDC, USD1, BTC +5 more | USDC |
| Deposit networks | BNB Chain, Arbitrum, Ethereum +1 more | Solana |
| Minimum order | $1 | $1 |
| Order types | 8 | 9 |
| Options | — | No |
| Mobile app | Yes | No |
| Testnet or demo | Yes | Yes |
| Vaults or copy trading | No | No |
| Insurance fund | Yes | Yes |
| Audited | Yes | Yes |
| Restricted jurisdictions | 11 | 43 |
| Founded | 2024 | 2025 |
Choose Aster if
- You want higher leverage: up to 1001x against 40x.
- You trade smaller or newer markets: 590 perpetual pairs against 8.
- You trade size and need liquidity: $668M in 24-hour volume against $21M.
- You want spot and perpetuals in one account.
- You trade from a phone: Aster has a mobile app.
- You want to post margin in more than one asset.
Choose BULK if
- You mostly use market orders: 0.035% taker fee against 0.04% on Aster.
Aster
PROS
- + Up to 1001x leverage on BTC/USD in 1001x mode (250x on ETH, 75x on other crypto, 200x on forex), the highest advertised leverage among the perp DEXes compared on this site
- + 0% maker fee on all perpetual markets since February 2, 2026, a 0.04% base taker fee on crypto perpetuals, and a 5% discount when fees are paid in ASTER
- + 590 perpetual markets, including US and Hong Kong stock perpetuals with up to 50x leverage and a flat 0.0125% taker fee
CONS
- − 1001x leverage on BTC/USD is extremely risky: a price move of roughly 0.1% against the position liquidates it, and profit on 1001x trades is capped at about 300%
- − Prohibited in 11 named jurisdictions including the US, UK, and Canada, and the Terms & Conditions forbid circumventing location restrictions
- − Founding team is pseudonymous, with limited public disclosure of the cap table and of who holds smart-contract upgrade keys
BULK
PROS
- + Base taker fee of 0.035% and maker fee of 0% during the Genesis phase, with taker fees down to 0.022% at 4 billion dollars of 14-day volume and maker rebates of up to 0.015%
- + Portfolio margin is the default: margin is calculated on the correlation-adjusted exposure of the whole account, which the docs say can cut requirements for a hedged BTC and ETH position by 30% to 70% against isolated margin
- + Non-custodial: funds sit in a per-user account of a Solana program, withdrawals need a FROST threshold signature from the validator set, and Zellic audited the program in July 2026
CONS
- − Mainnet is invite-only since September 5, 2026: access codes are the only way in for new users, they are single-use and expire weekly, and no date for public access has been announced
- − Only 8 of 22 listed perpetual markets were open for trading on October 4, 2026, there is no spot trading, and USDC on Solana is the only collateral
- − 24-hour volume was about 21 million dollars and open interest about 9 million dollars on October 4, 2026 per the BULK API, and BTC accounted for 14.3 million dollars of that volume
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Aster or BULK better?
Aster has a higher rating (4.2 vs 3). BULK offers lower fees (0.035% vs 0.04%). Choose Aster for higher leverage, and BULK for lower fees.
What are the fees on Aster vs BULK?
Aster charges 0.04% taker / 0% maker. BULK charges 0.035% taker / 0% maker for perpetuals.
Which has higher leverage, Aster or BULK?
Aster offers up to 1001x, and BULK offers up to 40x. Maximum leverage applies to selected markets and falls as position size grows on both exchanges.
Do Aster and BULK require KYC?
Aster does not require KYC. BULK does not require KYC. Both restrict some jurisdictions (Aster lists 11; BULK lists 43), so check the terms of service for your country before depositing.
Is Aster or BULK safer?
Aster has been audited and runs an insurance fund, and custody is non-custodial. BULK has been audited and runs an insurance fund, and custody is non-custodial. Neither audits nor insurance funds remove smart contract risk, so size deposits accordingly.
Which has more trading volume, Aster or BULK?
Aster recorded $668M in 24-hour volume and BULK recorded $21M, as of 2026-10-04. Aster lists 590 perpetual markets and BULK lists 8.