Aster, a decentralized perpetual contract exchange, rose sharply over the weekend after Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao revealed a personal investment of over $2 million in its native token. Its entry into the project has reignited market enthusiasm, attracting investors to the high-growth DeFi platform and reaffirming its lasting influence on digital asset markets.
In brief
- CZ invests over $2 million of his personal funds into Aster, driving its price from $0.91 to over $1.20 in an hour.
- Aster overtakes Hyperliquid with $70 billion in weekly trading volume, cementing its place among the leading decentralized perpetual contract exchanges.
- CZ's return after his pardon increases sentiment in DeFi, signaling a resumption of institutional and mainstream confidence in crypto.
- Aster's transparency tools and Layer-2 integrations strengthen its credibility, driving trust and trading activity.
CZ's personal investment propels the Aster token higher
Zhao announced the purchase in a post on X, saying he purchased Aster with his own funds on Binance and considered himself a long-term holder rather than a trader.
After its release, Aster's price rose from around $0.91 to over $1.20 within an hour, according to market data. An increase in trading volumes accompanied this rapid rise as market participants quickly followed CZ's lead.
Aster's close ties to YZi Labs, Zhao's family office, brought additional attention to the project. This connection has strengthened investor confidence in Aster's foundation and its growing role in decentralized perpetual exchanges.
Aster establishes itself as one of the leaders in the growing perpetual contracts market
Perpetual trading has become one of the fastest growing sectors in 2025, and Aster is now positioned among the leaders. It recently surpassed Hyperliquid in reported trading volumes, recording more than $70 billion in transactions over a seven-day period, according to data from The Block.
Earlier this year, questions about the accuracy of the data emerged when DefiLlama founder 0xngmi temporarily removed Aster's metrics, citing verification challenges. The data was reintegrated after the deployment of new monitoring systems to improve tracking of decentralized exchange volumes.
With the easing of controls, traders began to reevaluate Aster's strength and market position. Zhao's investment amplified this focus, highlighting several key factors behind the protocol's rise:
- High Trading Throughput: Processes billions in daily volume via on-chain settlement.
- Increasing Liquidity: The participation of large market makers strengthens price stability.
- Community Governance: Token holders have a direct say over the protocol's fees and incentive structures.
- Cross-chain compatibility: Integrations with major Layer-2s improve access and efficiency.
- Transparency Improvements: New verification tools help validate reported trading data.
These features boosted Aster's credibility and helped it capture a larger share of the perpetual contract market.
The market regains confidence as CZ returns to the forefront after his presidential pardon
Zhao's return to the public stage represents a significant turning point for crypto. After resigning as CEO of Binance and serving a four-month US prison sentence for violating banking laws, he received a presidential pardon from Donald Trump on October 23, a move that quickly changed sentiment both towards him and his affiliated projects.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt described the pardon as the end of what she called the previous administration's “war on cryptocurrency.” Market analysts interpreted it as a signal of easing regulatory pressure and a possible revival of institutional interest.
Both Aster and Binance’s BNB token responded immediately. Aster climbed to $1.07, while BNB gained over 5%, reaching $1,123. Despite Aster's Fear & Greed index at 42, investor enthusiasm seems to be returning.
Sunday's jump reinforced Zhao's continued ability to influence markets. With its media reappearance and Aster's growing momentum, the decentralized perpetuals sector could enter a new phase of renewed confidence and attention.
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