ASTER has slid to a new all-time low, dropping over 12% even as its protocol-funded buyback program officially went live.
By Parth Dubey
Editor Hamza Tariq
Updated
3 mins read
ASTER ASTER $0.61 24h volatility: 13.8% Market cap: $1.51 B Vol. 24h: $307.02 M hit a fresh all-time low after dropping more than 12% in the past 24 hours.
The token fell to $0.55 at the low before rebounding slightly to trade near $0.684 at the time of writing, as per the daily chart below. The selloff occurred alongside the DEX’s public confirmation that buybacks are now live.
ASTER hits new all-time low. | Source: TradingView
Aster DEX announced that it has begun deploying its Strategic Buyback Reserve, allocating between 20% and 40% of daily platform fees toward automatic ASTER repurchases.
The buybacks are executed on-chain from a designated reserve wallet and adjust dynamically based on market conditions.
Price action remained bearish despite the buyback announcement, with the token printing new lows even as the program went live.
We're now actively deploying our Strategic Buyback Reserve for $ASTER token repurchases automatically.
Building on our Stage 5 Buyback Program announced last month, this activation allocates 20-40% of daily platform fees into targeted buybacks, responding dynamically to market… https://t.co/cIbles9eHM
— Aster (@Aster_DEX) January 19, 2026
It is important to note that protocol-driven buybacks can slow dilution, but they do not remove sellers.
ASTER just printed a new all-time low.
The structure fully broke as Bitcoin dumped from ~$95,400 to ~$92,000, triggering a broad risk-off move across alts.
ASTER lost its key 0.70–0.68 support and flushed straight into thin air with heavy sell volume.
Next move depends… pic.twitter.com/u6GSAjQoRC
— 0xMarioNawfal (@RoundtableSpace) January 19, 2026
In ASTER’s case, the repurchase flow appears small relative to available liquidity. Lighter’s LIT token rallied close to 20% after announcing a similar buyback structure. That move proved short-lived as LIT later sold off sharply.
Data from crypto data platform CryptoRank shows that after Lighter’s airdrop, its weekly perps volume dropped nearly threefold from peak levels. ASTER continues to post strong numbers but faces increasing competition.
Hyperliquid reclaims the perps throne
As Lighter’s airdrop is distributed, the platform’s volumes have started to fade – weekly volume has decreased nearly 3x from its peak.@HyperliquidX has captured the lead and is now ranked 1st by volume and open interest.@variational_io… pic.twitter.com/LChbSdaU8a
— CryptoRank.io (@CryptoRank_io) January 18, 2026
Over the past seven days, DEX Hyperliquid HYPE $23.57 24h volatility: 8.8% Market cap: $5.62 B Vol. 24h: $237.49 M processed roughly $40.7 billion in volume, ahead of ASTER at $31.7 billion and Lighter at $25.3 billion.
The gap widens further in open interest. Hyperliquid holds about $9.57 billion in 24-hour open interest, while all other platforms combined sit near $7.34 billion.
According to CryptoRank data, following Lighter's airdrop, its perpetual contracts trading volume has sharply declined, with weekly volume dropping nearly 3x from peak. Hyperliquid has reclaimed the leading position among perpetual DEXs. In the past 7 days, Hyperliquid's volume…
— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) January 19, 2026
It is clear that even with active users, tokens tied to smaller exchanges face weaker bid support when liquidity migrates. Buybacks can support structure over time, but they do not guarantee reversals.
As ASTER continues to trade under pressure, investors are looking for new promising crypto projects like Bitcoin Hyper (HYPER). The project is currently running a public presale that has already raised around $30.8 million at the time of writing.
Bitcoin Hyper is built as a Layer 2 network to improve Bitcoin’s BTC $92 886 24h volatility: 2.2% Market cap: $1.86 T Vol. 24h: $42.90 B performance limits. It targets slower transaction times, higher fees, and the lack of native smart contract support on the base chain.
Transactions are first processed on the Layer 2 network, allowing faster execution and lower costs. They are then settled back onto the Bitcoin network for final confirmation.
The HYPER token is used across the network for transaction fees, staking, and access to certain network functions.
During the current presale phase, HYPER is priced at $0.013605, but the team is set to increase price within a few hours. If you’re interested in joining the presale, feel free to read our Bitcoin Hyper price prediction guide.
Disclaimer: Coinspeaker is committed to providing unbiased and transparent reporting. This article aims to deliver accurate and timely information but should not be taken as financial or investment advice. Since market conditions can change rapidly, we encourage you to verify information on your own and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content.
A crypto journalist with over 5 years of experience in the industry, Parth has worked with major media outlets in the crypto and finance world, gathering experience and expertise in the space after surviving bear and bull markets over the years. Parth is also an author of 4 self-published books.
