The $ASTER token experienced a sharp 7.22% decline in value on October 18, driven by significant sales from two major institutional investors, stirring volatility within the BNB Chain’s decentralized finance ecosystem. The digital asset dropped to $1.18 USD, with its market capitalization standing at $2.38 billion USD.
This downturn led to a 42.32% reduction in daily trading volume compared to its 30-day average, signaling decreased liquidity and potential market consolidation. Market reports indicate the substantial institutional sell-off as the primary catalyst for the price correction.
The token’s price fall comes despite a robust annual return of 156.14%. However, $ASTER has shed 50.99% since reaching its all-time high of $2.41 USD on September 24, 2025.
In the derivatives market, funding rates for $ASTER perpetual contracts registered at -0.0293%, suggesting a prevalence of short positions and sustained selling pressure. Open interest in futures contracts also fell to $495.79 million USD, 10% below the weekly average, reflecting an outflow of speculative capital.
On-chain metrics reveal stable daily transactions at approximately 150,000, yet the number of active holders decreased by 5%. Some analysts view this “purging” as a potential clearing of weaker positions, which could precede a rebound if buying volume increases.
Technical indicators suggest mixed signals. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) for $ASTER is at 28, positioning the asset in oversold territory below 30, which often indicates a potential reversal. Conversely, the price is trading below its 7-day Simple Moving Average (SMA-7) of $1.34 USD, signaling bearish momentum. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) shows a negative histogram with converging lines, implying a weakening downtrend.
Key support levels for $ASTER are identified at $1.10 USD, a psychological threshold and 50% Fibonacci retracement from its all-time high, and $1.00 USD. Resistance levels are noted at $1.25 USD (SMA-7) and $1.40 USD.
Fundamentally, $ASTER underpins a decentralized exchange (DEX) for perpetual contracts on the BNB Chain, boasting a Total Value Locked (TVL) of $2 billion USD. The protocol has a circulating supply of 2 billion tokens out of a total of 3 billion, representing 67% in circulation.
The network maintains approximately 200,000 active daily holders and 150,000 daily transactions, indicating a 15% monthly increase in adoption despite recent price fluctuations. Partnerships with YZi Labs and mentorship from BNB Chain are cited as drivers of its utility in perpetual trading, which has seen record DEX volumes of $100 billion USD daily.
Compared to similar platforms like DYDX, with a market capitalization of $1.5 billion USD and $1.2 billion USD in TVL, $ASTER’s higher market cap and TVL, alongside a larger active holder base, suggest it may be undervalued by approximately 20%.
While the near-term outlook remains volatile, the underlying fundamental strength of $ASTER’s protocol could offer resilience against current market pressures.