Aster DEX buys back $140M in tokens, yet prices stall – Why?

With the crypto market stuck in a prolonged bearish trend, Aster DEX has worked actively to limit downside risks.

 To stabilize Aster’s [ASTER] price and counter sell‑side pressure, Aster DEX has consistently implemented deflationary measures.

Since its transition a few months ago, token buybacks have become the platform’s primary tool for absorbing selling pressure and supporting price stability.

Aster DEX launches stage 5 buyback program

Aster DEX has completed four buyback programs since launching the initiative, purchasing more than 209 million tokens worth over $140 million.

Building on this, the platform introduced the Stage 5 Buyback Program, which directs up to 80% of fees toward buybacks. Official reports confirm that 40% of daily platform fees are now allocated to automatic daily buybacks.

 These token buybacks will be processed through a transparent wallet to enable easy community tracking. 

In addition, 20-40% of the total fees will go to a strategic reserve. Since stage five went live, the team has purchased 566k ASTER valued at approximately $399k according to Asterlify. 

 Shield Mode Fees analyzed

In addition to platform fees, the team announced the use of recently launched Shield Mode Fees for token buybacks. 

According to the team, 100% of Shield Mode Fees will go to ASTER buybacks. Accordingly, the team implemented a profit-and-loss sharing fee structure.

Under the profit-sharing model, market participants pay a 15% fee on net profit and no cost on losses. The funds raised by the protocol from these fees will be invested entirely in token buybacks.

As such, all Shield Mode net profits will be allocated to ASTER Buybacks. 

Aster still faces intense bearish pressure

Despite persistent investment in deflationary measures, the market has yet to feel it positively. As such, the altcoin has continued to face intense downward pressure. 

The pressure has persisted as holders and investors, both retail and whales, have continued to dump aggressively. 

According to Coinalyze, ASTER saw 4.43 million in Sell Volume compared to 3.54 million Buy Volume, at press time. As a result, the altcoin recorded a negative buy-sell delta of -890k, a clear indicator of vigorous selling activity. 

Additionally, Top Holders have offloaded 17 million ASTER tokens over the past 24 hours, further validating market bearishness.

With sellers dominating the market, Aster has traded within a descending channel, staying below the 20- and 50-EMA, indicating intense downward pressure.

Therefore, if selling pressure persists, ASTER could extend losses and drop towards the $0.60 support. For a substantial trend reversal, ASTER needs a daily close above EMA20 at $0.83.

Final Thoughts

• Aster DEX launches stage 5 buyback program, with up to 80% of protocol Fees, and 100% of shield Mode net profits.
• ASTER remains under bearish pressure and risks a dip towards $0.6 if it fails to close above $0.83 daily.