ASTER Takes Action: 77.8 Million Tokens Burned as Buybacks Surge to $173 Million

ASTER Takes Action: 77.8 Million Tokens Burned as Buybacks Surge to $173 Million – Will Price Reach $1?

Aster [ASTER] debuted nearly three months ago, following the merger between Astherus and APX Finance. Despite a bearish trend in the broader cryptocurrency market during the fourth quarter, Aster has shown remarkable stability, thanks in part to its previously laid-out roadmap. The pressing question is: what does the future hold for ASTER in 2026?

Key Takeaways

Aster has outlined a strategic roadmap for 2026 focusing on infrastructure, token utility, ecosystem, and community.
The team has initiated deflationary measures, including burning 77.8 million tokens and conducting strategic buybacks totaling $173 million.
Market conditions appear favorable for ASTER with a potential price target of $1, should demand remain steady.

AsterDEX Unveils 2026 Roadmap With Staking and L1 Launch: What it Means for Aster

Aster’s 2026 Roadmap

After realizing early achievements, AsterDex has disclosed its 2026 roadmap. The team intends to concentrate on enhancing its infrastructure, token utility, ecosystem, and community engagement. These three core elements will support one another in a self-reinforcing cycle.

The roadmap details that in early December 2025, AsterDex will implement a shield mode for private high-leverage trading and Time-Weighted Average Price (TWAP) strategy orders. By mid-December, there will be upgrades to Real-World Asset (RWA) markets for deeper, broader stock perpetual trading. Further, at the year's end, the Aster chain testnet will become available for community testing.

In the first quarter of 2026, Aster plans to launch its Layer-1 chain, introduce Aster Code for developers, and implement a fiat on/off ramp. By the second quarter, staking will commence, on-chain governance will be established, and smart-money tools to help users track top traders will be released. With these initiatives, Aster aims to evolve from being merely a decentralized exchange (DEX) and establish itself as a comprehensive liquidity network.

Aster Burns 77.8 Million Tokens

To meet its ambitious 2026 goals, AsterDex is actively working to stabilize ASTER's market conditions through aggressive deflationary tactics. Following the completion of the S3 buyback program involving 155.7 million tokens, the team proceeded with token burning and airdrop allocations as previously mentioned.

Official reports reveal that 77,860,328 ASTER tokens, equating to $89.8 million, were burned, permanently removing them from circulation. Additionally, another 77,860,328 tokens were locked, leading to the remaining 50% of buyback tokens being moved to an airdrop locked wallet.

So far, the Aster team has purchased 10.1 million tokens, investing $10.5 million. This brings their total acquisition to 165.8 million tokens valued at approximately $173.3 million. These buybacks have successfully contributed to a decrease in supply, fostering long-term scarcity which could benefit Aster should demand continue.

Impact on Price?

Clearly, the ongoing token buybacks and burns have alleviated selling pressure from the open market. Following a market rebound from the December 1 dip, ASTER has been trading within a defined consolidation range.

Moreover, momentum has steadily increased, with the demand for ASTER outweighing selling pressure, as demonstrated by the Stochastic Momentum Index.

These favorable market conditions position Aster for potential gains on its price charts. If demand remains robust, it is conceivable that Aster could reclaim the mid-band of the Bollinger Bands at $1.1. Achieving this milestone may provide the momentum needed to challenge the upper band at $1.3. However, this optimistic scenario hinges on the bulls' ability to sustain pricing above the $1 mark. Should they falter, Aster might look for support at the lower band around $0.91.

Conclusion

The actions undertaken by Aster, including significant token burns and strategic buybacks, reflect a strong commitment to stabilizing its market presence and could potentially lead to favorable price movements. As 2026 approaches, the outlined roadmap and current market strategies present Aster with a promising outlook.