Aster Review 2026
About Aster
Aster is a multi-chain decentralized perpetual and spot exchange formed by the late-2024 merger of Astherus (yield products) and APX Finance (perpetuals infrastructure). It is backed by YZi Labs (formerly Binance Labs), with CZ in an advisory role, and accepts deposits from BNB Chain, Arbitrum, Ethereum, and Solana. Aster has two trading modes: 1001x mode (one-click trading with up to 1001x leverage on BTC/USD) and Pro Mode (orderbook, hidden orders, multi-asset margin). The platform is non-custodial, accepts yield-bearing collateral such as asBNB and USDF so traders earn yield while holding open positions, and launched its own L1, Aster Chain, in March 2026. The ASTER token had its TGE on September 17, 2025 and was listed on Binance with a Seed Tag in October 2025. Aster lists 590 perpetual markets and 66 spot pairs as of October 2026, and its 24-hour perpetual volume is about $668M according to CoinGecko. Hidden orders keep size and price off the public orderbook until execution. Stock perpetuals on US and Hong Kong equities trade with up to 50x leverage and settle in USDT. Since February 2, 2026 all perpetual maker fees are 0%, and the base taker fee on crypto perpetuals is 0.04% (0.1% on Group B pairs). Since September 7, 2026 RWA and stock perpetuals carry a flat 0.0125% taker fee at every VIP level. Paying fees with ASTER gives a 5% discount. In September 2026 Aster added Perpetual Grid Trading 2.0 and an OTC desk for BTC-USDT perpetuals. The founding team is pseudonymous, and its public technical leadership includes former Binance staff. Aster's Terms & Conditions (last updated February 25, 2026) prohibit use from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, China, Russia, Ukraine, North Korea, Cuba, Iran, Venezuela, and Syria, and users warrant that they will not circumvent location restrictions.
KEY FACTS
- CUSTODY
- non-custodial
- TAKER FEE
- 0.04%
- MAX LEVERAGE
- 1001x
- NETWORKS
- BNB Chain, Arbitrum, Ethereum
- KYC REQUIRED
- No
- FOUNDED
- 2024
Fee Structure
| MARKET | TAKER | MAKER |
|---|---|---|
| Perpetuals | 0.04% | 0% |
| Spot | 0.04% | 0.005% |
| Best Tier | 0.025% | 0% |
Leverage & Margin
Security
Pros & Cons
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
- + Hidden orders keep order size and price off the public orderbook, which limits front-running of large trades
- + Yield-bearing collateral (asBNB, USDF) earns yield while it backs open positions, and deposits are accepted from 4 networks: BNB Chain, Arbitrum, Ethereum, and Solana
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
- − Stock and RWA perpetuals are no longer fee-free: a 0.0125% taker fee applies since September 7, 2026, and Group B crypto pairs cost 0.1% taker
- − 24-hour perpetual volume of about $668M and TVL of about $793M are well below Hyperliquid, which means thinner liquidity on smaller markets
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Aster safe?
Aster is a non-custodial DEX, so users keep funds in their own wallets. Its smart contracts have been audited by firms including PeckShield, liquidations are backstopped by an insurance fund, and USDF collateral is held with the custodian Ceffu. No exploit has been reported as of October 2026. The pseudonymous team and limited upgrade-key disclosure are the main risks.
What are Aster fees?
Aster charges 0% maker and 0.04% taker on crypto perpetuals, and 0.1% taker on Group B pairs. Stock and RWA perpetuals have a flat 0.0125% taker fee since September 7, 2026. Spot trading costs 0.005% maker and 0.04% taker. Paying fees with ASTER gives a 5% discount, and VIP tiers lower the taker fee further.
Does Aster require KYC?
No, Aster does not require KYC to trade. Users connect a compatible wallet and can trade without submitting identity documents. The Terms & Conditions reserve the right to request identity verification, and the platform is prohibited in the US, UK, Canada, and eight other named jurisdictions. Circumventing location restrictions, for example with a VPN, breaks the terms.
What is Aster 1001x leverage?
1001x is Aster's highest leverage tier, available only on BTC/USD in 1001x mode. ETH/USD is capped at 250x, other crypto at 75x, and forex at 200x. At 500x and above there is no opening fee but a dynamic fee on profit at close, adding margin is disabled, and profit is capped at about 300% for 1001x positions.
What makes Aster different from Hyperliquid?
Aster offers up to 1001x leverage on BTC compared with Hyperliquid's 40x cap, plus hidden orders, yield-bearing collateral, stock perpetuals, and deposits from BNB Chain, Arbitrum, Ethereum, and Solana. Aster also charges 0% maker fees on perpetuals. Hyperliquid has higher TVL and trading volume and has run longer on its own purpose-built L1.
What is the Aster token (ASTER)?
ASTER is the native BEP-20 token of Aster, with an initial supply of 8 billion. It is used for governance, staking on Aster Chain, and a 5% trading fee discount. ASTER launched in September 2025 and was listed on Binance in October 2025. Since June 2026 Aster directs 99% of daily platform fees to ASTER buybacks.
Does Aster have a mobile app?
Yes, Aster has mobile apps for iOS and Android that cover deposits, trading, and withdrawals. The apps include 1001x mode for one-click high-leverage trades and Pro Mode for orderbook trading with hidden orders and TWAP execution. Version 1.20.0, released in April 2026, added order tools on the chart and easier take-profit and stop-loss entry.
https://docs.asterdex.com/trading/perpetuals/fees-and-specs/fees · https://docs.asterdex.com/trading/1001x/leverage · https://docs.asterdex.com/trading/spot/spot-fee-structure · https://docs.asterdex.com/program-and-rewards/vip-program · https://docs.asterdex.com/resources/terms-and-conditions · https://docs.asterdex.com/trading/perpetuals/stock-perpetuals · https://docs.asterdex.com/trading/perpetuals/single-asset-mode-and-multi-asset-mode · https://docs.asterdex.com/aster-chain/testnet · https://www.asterdex.com · Aster public API exchangeInfo endpoints (perp and spot pair counts) · https://coinmarketcap.com/cmc-ai/aster/latest-updates/ · CoinGecko Derivatives API (volume) · DeFiLlama API (TVL)