Aster DEX expands with new USDC-denominated perpetual markets

Aster, a decentralized exchange (DEX) specializing in perpetual futures, has announced the introduction of three new USDC-denominated perpetual markets for Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Solana (SOL). This expansion was facilitated through partnerships with Arc and Circle.

Aster, which evolved from Astherus and APX Finance, offers various trading modes including Pro, Shield for privacy, and a high-leverage 1001x mode. The platform also features maker fees of 0% for USDT, stock, and USD1 perpetual contracts as of February 2026.

The ASTER token has recently traded around $0.71, showing signs of recovery following a period of sideways movement. The project is backed by YZi Labs, which has links to Binance founder Changpeng Zhao.