- Aster has recovered after the market crash and is regaining key price levels.
- However, DeFiLlama’s delisting has raised trust concerns across the DeFi community.
- Delays in future token unlocks and airdrops also pose new volatility risks.
After experiencing one of the steepest crashes to date, the ASTER cryptocurrency is showing signs of recovery once again.
The decentralized exchange token has rallied more than 13% in the past 24 hours, recovering from a significant selloff that wiped out more than half of its market value earlier this month.
The recovery comes after a chaotic week for crypto markets, with more than $20 billion in leveraged positions being liquidated, the largest single-day wipeout in digital asset history.
Aster, which rose to prominence after its rebrand from APX, was particularly hard hit, dropping nearly 52% from a high of around $2.30 in September to a low of $1.10.
This crash came after a series of adverse events, including an abrupt removal from DeFiLlama, a $12 million token transfer to Binance, and a delay in the much-awaited Stage 2 airdrop.
DeFiLlama delisting raises deeper questions
Aster’s removal from DeFiLlama last week was more than just a data correction. This has reignited a broader debate about transparency and trust in decentralized finance (DeFi).
The analytics platform flagged Astor's reported volumes as suspiciously similar to Binance's perpetual market data, suggesting the exchange's activity may not be entirely organic.
The delisting was a major blow to confidence for a project that quickly rose to the top of the DEX leaderboard.
The controversy highlighted a deeper issue within DeFi, how much the supposedly trustless system still relies on centralized gatekeepers to define what is true.
Experts say about a quarter of exchanges still show signs of inflated activity through wash trading or automated proprietary trading.
When DeFiLlama pulled Aster's data, some, like Bolivians, accused the aggregator of acting as a centralized institution.
Others, such as Simon Dedic, defended the decision, arguing that it protects the integrity of market data. The incident served as a reminder that trust remains the weakest link in a world built on transparency.
Aster airdrop delays and token unlocks weigh on outlook
Adding to the uncertainty is Aster's upcoming Stage 2 airdrop, which the team has postponed from October 14 to October 20 following complaints about allocation discrepancies.
However, the developer has confirmed that 4% of the token supply will soon be moved from the Airdrop Reserve to the project's financial agreement, ready for unlocking.
Community, take note.
We are moving funds on-chain in preparation for the upcoming Stage 2 $ASTER airdrop claim.
A total of 4% of $ASTER tokens will be transferred from Airdrop Reserve to Aster DEX Treasury contract.These are formal transactions made by the team.
— Aster (@Aster_DEX) October 13, 2025
Although the postponement temporarily eased selling pressure, it also raises concerns about future dilution.
More than half of Aster’s total supply remains earmarked for future airdrops, and the lack of clear vesting details could lead to increased volatility once the tokens are in circulation.
The bull returns, but resistance stands in the way.
Despite these challenges, Aster's price has rebounded sharply and is trading around $1.56 after regaining key support at $1.50.
Technical indicators point to an improvement in sentiment. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) has risen above the neutral 50 mark and the MACD has turned positive, suggesting buying pressure is building again.
A clean break above $1.60 could pave the way to $1.70 and ultimately the psychological $2 level if momentum holds.
On-chain data also supports the bullish turn. Aster’s Total Value Locked (TVL) increased slightly to $2.16 billion, indicating that liquidity is slowly returning to the protocol.
TVL's recovery, while modest, suggests that users are regaining confidence after last week's panic.
But analysts warn that this pattern is similar to a “dead cat bounce” often seen after a sharp selloff.
$ASTER This may be unpopular, but there is a good case to be made that despite the liquidation, Aster is still forming further lows while the bulls try to regain momentum.
The rejection around $1.53 lines up very well both at the top of the descending channel and in the channel… pic.twitter.com/FAztwhn2Pl
— AltcoinArdi (@AltcoinArdi) October 13, 2025
If the bullish pressure subsides, the price could retreat towards $1.25 and even $0.97.
