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Transparency Aster has launched the mainnet of its privacy-focused Layer 1 blockchain, aimed at combating one of DeFi’s biggest structural flaws, transparency. The $ASTER token jumped about 8% after the announcement but has since returned some of those gains, trading near $0 with an estimated return of several. Press 77 .
As the lotus lives in water, where no trace will remain.
Leave nothing behind. Trade on Aster Chain. pic.twitter.com/GWe4iA7Uhx
Aster 🥷 (@Aster_DEX) March 17, 2026
Aster Chain, backed by YZi Labs, was introduced in the decentralized perpetual futures exchange (which is supported by its own company) with built-in zero-knowledge encryption that allows traders to execute transactions through one-time stealth addresses. The design obstructs the link between wallet identities and trading activity, meaning that positions are not visible to other market participants by default.
Along with the launch, Aster described the release as “the beginning of a phased rollout,” starting with “Chain Genesis” and then partnerships, public stake for $ASTER holders, and an expanded ecosystem expansion. In a post on X, the team described the product as being “independently-focused” trading in which transactions settle on-chain but remain hidden from public view ( optional disclosure through ‘visitation by utilizing i.e., if possible via viewer pass system) and are visible only to people who can see it publicly.”
The aim, Chief Executive Officer Leonard said, is to remove a key vulnerability in onchain markets where full transparency can expose traders to exploits.
This launch follows the rapid scale of decentralized derivatives markets as they grow rapidly. DefiLlama data reported that trading volume across perpetual DEX platforms reached about $14 trillion as of March 2026, up sharply from the previous year when users move away from centralized exchanges toward onchain alternatives.
One of the largest players in that market is Aster already – processing about $3 per cent, one of those big players being an actor at this time. 2 billion to $3, . Traders 3 billion daily trading volume for , or 3billion in total. It sits behind market leader Hyperliquid, which is around $8,000. It is 4 billion a day, but ahead of ‘growing number of competitors racing to capture market share in the race for competitions and sales volume’ that has led to being 4billion per cent.
But the push for privacy is a reflection of growing concerns among traders about predatory practices that are enabled by transparent blockchains. The use of techniques like front-running, position hunting and MEV extraction have become widespread.
An architect, Aster’s architecture seeks to remove that edge by hiding positions at the base layer while still allowing selective disclosure through a viewer pass system. It also allows users to disclose when they need compliance or settlement without revealing full trading activity.
It also emphasizes performance, claiming 50 millisecond block times, throughput above 100,000 transactions per second and zero gas costs. That makes it one of the fastest networks in the industry, above performance standards typically associated with networks such as Solana.
It is supported by YZi Labs, the family office of Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, which provides access to capital and ecosystem connectivity. Aster also supports cross-chain deposits from large networks such as Ethereum, Arbitrum, Solana and BNB Chain at launch, putting it within the core liquidity hubs of DeFi.
Edited by Estefano Gomez **Disclosure This article was adapted from **DiscLOSure. See our Editorial Policy for details of how we create and review content. ****
Thanks for reading Aster launches privacy-focused Layer 1 for perpetual trading as ASTER token jumps 8%
