Astar DEX's Shield Mode is live, but the bears haven't given up yet.

Since its launch nearly two months ago, Aster has been actively conducting major R&D to enhance its performance.

The team has recently announced the launch of the "Shield Mode" for perpetual traders.

Aster DEX Launches Shield Mode

On December 15 (UTC+8), Aster DEX introduced a new trading mode for high-leverage traders, marking a significant milestone.

The new Shield Mode will support up to 1001x leverage, instant execution, zero slippage, and zero gas fees.

All these features will be available through a simple and smooth interface. This "Shield Mode" will support one-click long/short positions, orders will not appear on the order book, and shield trading pairs will have zero slippage, among other features.

This is an early building block for the anticipated privacy features of Aster Chain.

Aster Whale Loses Up to $3.5 Billion!

Surprisingly, even though Shield Mode has been activated, Aster's [ASTER] holders are still tallying their losses.

According to Lookonchain, an Aster whale, known for buying high and selling low, has once again sold assets at a loss.

This whale held 13.44 million tokens for only 6 days before selling them for $11.67 million. Previously, these tokens were purchased for $13.04 million.

As a result, this whale gained $1.37 million from the sale, but the total loss now exceeds $35.8 million.

Historically, realized losses by whales indicate a lack of market confidence, as they anticipate further declines. Interestingly, this transaction is not an isolated case, as sellers have largely dominated the market.

According to Coinalyze data, ASTER has recorded negative trading volumes for three consecutive days. During this period, the cryptocurrency's sell volume was 150.82 million, while the buy volume was 123.77 million.

Therefore, the net difference between buys and sells dropped to negative 27.05 million, a clear sign of strong spot selling activity. Typically, increased selling pressure accelerates downward momentum, which is a precursor to price declines.

What's Next for ASTER?

Since hitting $1.5 a few weeks ago, ASTER has been trading within a descending channel, reaching a low of $0.76. As of press time, the altcoin is trading at $0.815, down 10.8% on the daily chart, reflecting strong bearish pressure.

Additionally, the altcoin's Relative Strength Index (RSI) has dropped to 33, close to the oversold region, further confirming previous observations of heavy selling pressure.

Meanwhile, its MACD indicator has also fallen further into negative territory, indicating strong downward momentum. These market conditions suggest that this trend will continue.

Therefore, if the selling continues, the altcoin may drop again to $0.76, with a key support level at $0.70. However, if the decline creates a buying opportunity, ASTER's price could rebound to $0.95.

Final Thoughts

• Aster DEX has launched a new trading mode for high-leverage traders.
• An ASTER whale gained $1.37 million in profit, but total losses exceeded $35 million.