Aster (ASTER) is a privacy-focused, multichain decentralized exchange ecosystem centered on perpetual futures and spot trading. The project emerged from the merger of Astherus and APX Finance in late 2024, officially rebranding and launching as Aster on March 31, 2025. The native ASTER token launched on September 17, 2025, and serves as the governance, incentive, and value-capture asset for the protocol. As of July 2026, Aster ranks #44 by market capitalization with a valuation of approximately $1.68 billion.