Aster Expands WLFI Collaboration, Launches USD1-Denominated Perpetual Markets

TheNewsCryptoPublished on 2026-03-18Last updated on 2026-03-18

Abstract

Aster, backed by YZi Labs, has expanded its partnership with World Liberty Financial (WLFI) to introduce USD1-denominated perpetual markets. The collaboration includes launching perpetual contracts for pairs like BTC, ETH, and SOL using USD1, with plans to add more pairs. Key features include zero maker fees, reduced taker fees (0.5 bps), and USD1 as collateral with a ratio matching USDT. Traders can earn rewards from a monthly distribution of up to 2.5 million WLFI tokens and participate in holding incentive programs. The initiative aims to enhance USD1 liquidity and build a strong foundation for the upcoming Aster Chain, a new Layer 1 blockchain, by diversifying stablecoin use and improving capital efficiency.

George Town, British Virgin Islands, March 18th, 2026, Chainwire

Aster, a trading ecosystem backed by YZi Labs, today announced a major expansion of its collaboration with World Liberty Financial (WLFI).

The collaboration introduces USD1-denominated perpetual contracts and new trading incentives, including WLFI token rewards and reduced fees on USD1 pairs, while also allowing users to earn additional rewards on their holdings.

The integration is intended to support USD1 liquidity on the platform, laying the groundwork for Aster Chain, the project’s newly-launched Layer 1 blockchain.

Building a Diverse Foundation for Aster Chain

Adding USD1 as collateral and USD1-denominated perpetual markets reduce Aster’s reliance on any single stablecoin, giving users greater flexibility as the Aster Chain launches.

WLFI’s global community helps support Aster’s efforts to expand access to USD1 markets within DeFi.

“Aster Chain’s success depends on the depth of its underlying liquidity,” said Leonard, CEO at Aster. “By bringing USD1 into our core trading engine during this phase, we’re building the trading foundation for the Aster Chain launch. Our 0-bps maker fees are designed to encourage participation in USD1 markets on Aster as the mainnet launch.”

“Perpetual markets are where a significant portion of trading volume lives. Aster listing USD1 perps pairs and matching USDT collateral ratios means traders can use USD1 in a manner similar to any major stablecoin. That’s the bar we set: functional parity, rather than positioning USD1 a secondary option.” said Zak Folkman, Co-founder & COO of World Liberty Financial.

Establishing the USD1 Trading Hub

Aster supports USD1-denominated perpetual contracts, launching with BTC, ETH, and SOL pairs, with an additional 10+ pairs planned in the coming weeks.

To encourage market participation, Aster is offering zero-bps maker fees and a competitive 0.5-bps taker fee. USD1 is also supported as a core margin asset and collateral, with a collateral ratio on par with USDT – allowing traders to maximize capital efficiency.

Rewards for Early Adopters

This partnership introduces several incentives as part of Aster Chain’s mainnet launch:

USD1 Perp Trading Rewards: Up to 2.5 million WLFI tokens distributed monthly through the USD1 perpetual trading incentive program based on trading activity, with rewards distributed weekly. WLFI reserves all rights regarding program interpretation and distribution.
USD1 Holding Incentives: Users holding USD1 on Aster may be eligible to participate in platform incentive programs.
Reduced Trading Fees: Zero maker fees and 0.5-bps taker fees on all USD1 pairs, a significant reduction compared to USDT pairs.*

Aster will also launch tracking tools including integrated Points Program entry points across web and mobile, allowing users to monitor their progress and participation in early Aster Chain market activity.

*Aster’s standard taker fee on USDT pairs is 4 bps. USD1 taker fee is 0.5 bps, representing an approximate 87.5% reduction. Maker fees on USD1 pairs are 0 bps. All fees are set by Aster and subject to change. See Aster’s fee schedule at Aster fee page for current rates.

About Aster

Aster is a privacy-first onchain trading platform backed by YZi Labs, featuring innovations like Hidden Orders to shield user trading activity. It offers perpetual contracts across crypto, stocks and commodities, as well as crypto spot trading, and is powered by Aster Chain, a Layer 1 blockchain built to power the future of decentralized finance.

Users can learn more about Aster on the official website or follow Aster on X.

About World Liberty Financial (WLFI)

World Liberty Financial (WLFI) operates at the intersection of traditional financial infrastructure with blockchain innovation, creating accessible, transparent, and scalable solutions for a new era of digital finance. This documentation is intended for developers, integrators, researchers, and community members seeking to understand the World Liberty Financial ecosystem.

Contact

PR & Content Manager
Lola Chen
Aster
lola.chen@asterdex.com

Trending Cryptos

CitreaCTR

wrapped stUSDTWSTUSDT

Velodrome FinanceVELODROME

BrevisBREV

ZRX（0X）ZRX

PancakeSwapCAKE

The Verdict in Choi Tae-won's Divorce Case: Revealing the Inheritance Undercurrent Behind SK Hynix's Trillion-Won Empire

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won's high-profile divorce case, involving a record 1.38 trillion won settlement, has drawn attention to the succession plans for Korea's second-largest conglomerate, especially its crown jewel, SK hynix. Unlike traditional chaebol scripts centered on the eldest son, Chey's three children from his marriage to former President Roh Tae-woo's daughter, Roh Soh-yeong, are carving distinct, non-traditional paths. Eldest daughter Chey Yun-jung (b. 1989) is seen as the most evident successor. With a scientific and consulting background, she holds executive roles at SK bioscience and SK Inc.'s growth support department, focusing on future strategy and biopharma. Her marriage is to an AI infrastructure entrepreneur, not a traditional business alliance. Second daughter Chey Min-jung (b. 1991) took a unique route, voluntarily serving as a South Korean naval officer, including an anti-piracy deployment. She later worked on policy and strategy for SK hynix in Washington D.C. before co-founding an AI-driven healthcare startup. She married a former U.S. Marine Corps officer, connecting her to U.S. defense and policy circles—networks crucial for a global semiconductor giant. The only son, Chey In-geun (b. 1995), who studied physics like his father, worked briefly at SK E&S before joining McKinsey. Despite fitting the traditional "heir" profile as the eldest son, he remains silent and holds no public position or shares in SK, suggesting the old succession playbook is obsolete. As SK hynix's valuation soars, becoming a geopolitical asset in the AI era, the heirs' legitimacy is no longer automatic. They must prove themselves in fields like AI biotech, global policy, and strategic consulting. Their marriages also reflect new elite networks in tech and defense, not old political alliances. Their inheritance is the complex challenge of navigating a globalized, tech-driven world, not just a corporate throne.

marsbitYesterday 09:06

The Verdict in Choi Tae-won's Divorce Case: Revealing the Inheritance Undercurrent Behind SK Hynix's Trillion-Won Empire

marsbitYesterday 09:06

Banks oppose stablecoin yield deal – Can CLARITY Act find 60 votes?

The Bank Policy Institute (BPI) has opposed the latest draft of the CLARITY Act, criticizing its provisions on stablecoin yield and illicit finance. The banking industry sought a total ban on stablecoin yield, but the bill's compromise only prohibits passive yield on idle balances. This opposition has influenced lawmakers, reducing tentative Republican Senate support to potentially 49 votes. With the 60-vote threshold needed, securing sufficient Democratic support appears difficult as some pro-crypto Democrats also oppose the bill due to ethics and illicit finance concerns. Senate Majority Leader John Thune expressed doubt the bill can pass before the August recess. Market odds for the bill's passage in 2026 have fallen, leaving its future uncertain.

ambcryptoYesterday 09:02

Banks oppose stablecoin yield deal – Can CLARITY Act find 60 votes?

ambcryptoYesterday 09:02

2 Months, Valuation Soars from $8.8B to $68B! The Largest AI Model Hub OpenRouter May Be Acquired

Stripe is reportedly in talks to acquire AI model marketplace OpenRouter for a price nearing $10 billion, a dramatic increase from its $1.3 billion valuation just two months prior. The deal, which could be announced within a month, would see the payment giant absorb a key "router" or aggregation layer in the AI infrastructure stack. OpenRouter provides developers with a single API to access over 400 large language models (LLMs), automatically routing queries to the most suitable model based on cost, capability, and speed. This allows AI applications to optimize expenses while maintaining user experience. Founded in 2023 by ex-OpenSea co-founder Alex Atallah and Louis Vichy, OpenRouter has grown rapidly, reaching $50 million in annualized revenue by April and serving over one million developers. For Stripe, the acquisition of OpenRouter follows its late-2025 purchase of usage-based billing platform Metronome. The combined strategy aims to create an integrated suite for the AI economy: OpenRouter would handle model selection and routing, Metronome would manage granular usage-based billing, and Stripe's core platform would process payments. This positions Stripe to control a critical part of the AI application value chain, influencing which models get used while simplifying cost management for enterprise customers.

链捕手Yesterday 08:59

2 Months, Valuation Soars from $8.8B to $68B! The Largest AI Model Hub OpenRouter May Be Acquired

链捕手Yesterday 08:59

From OpenSea to OpenRouter: Is Alex Atallah Repeating His 'Exit at the Peak' Playbook?

From OpenSea to OpenRouter: Is Alex Atallah Repeating His "Exit at the Peak" Playbook? According to the Wall Street Journal, payments giant Stripe is in talks to acquire the AI model aggregation platform OpenRouter in a potential deal valuing the company near $100 billion. This would mark founder Alex Atallah's second creation of a company reaching a $100 billion valuation, following his co-founding of NFT marketplace OpenSea. OpenRouter, founded just over three years ago, has grown rapidly by acting as a unified gateway for developers to access over 400 AI models. It currently has about 10 million users and processes over 200 trillion tokens monthly. While the platform's annualized revenue is around $50 million, its valuation has skyrocketed from $1.3 billion in March 2026. The potential acquisition by Stripe, a company OpenRouter's founder once likened it to, represents a major expansion into AI infrastructure for the payments leader. This move echoes Atallah's previous timing with OpenSea, where he departed before the NFT market's significant downturn. For OpenRouter, selling now may be strategic. Despite its scale, its business model—charging a 5-5.5% fee on AI inference calls—faces pressure from competition, open-source models, and potential price wars among model providers, limiting its profitability narrative for an IPO. A key asset for potential acquirers like Stripe is OpenRouter's vast repository of real-world AI usage data, which offers unique insights into model performance and developer preferences that are difficult to replicate. Whether this potential deal signifies a new valuation benchmark for AI infrastructure or another market peak signal remains to be seen.

链捕手Yesterday 08:42

Pons V2 brings RWA trading pairs as Robinhood Chain broadens its ambitions

Pons, a key launchpad on Robinhood Chain, has launched its V2 upgrade. The update aims to boost liquidity, remove trading restrictions for most users via an ETH-denominated bonding curve, and introduces support for custom tokenized real-world asset (RWA) trading pairs. This aligns with Robinhood Chain's broader RWA focus. The upgrade also allows creators to collect fees in ETH by default. The network itself is growing rapidly, surpassing $300 million in Total Value Locked. Its cumulative DEX volume has exceeded $9 billion, with about 80% coming from speculative memecoin trading. However, data shows 63% of traders are at a loss, with profits concentrated in a small number of wallets. The introduction of RWAs could help drive more organic adoption for the chain, which is positioning itself as a major player for speculative trading, challenging networks like Base and Solana.

ambcryptoYesterday 08:26

Trading

Spot

Hot Articles

How to Buy ASTER

Welcome to HTX.com! We've made purchasing Aster (ASTER) simple and convenient. Follow our step-by-step guide to embark on your crypto journey.Step 1: Create Your HTX AccountUse your email or phone number to sign up for a free account on HTX. Experience a hassle-free registration journey and unlock all features.Get My AccountStep 2: Go to Buy Crypto and Choose Your Payment MethodCredit/Debit Card: Use your Visa or Mastercard to buy Aster (ASTER) instantly.Balance: Use funds from your HTX account balance to trade seamlessly.Third Parties: We've added popular payment methods such as Google Pay and Apple Pay to enhance convenience.P2P: Trade directly with other users on HTX.Over-the-Counter (OTC): We offer tailor-made services and competitive exchange rates for traders.Step 3: Store Your Aster (ASTER)After purchasing your Aster (ASTER), store it in your HTX account. Alternatively, you can send it elsewhere via blockchain transfer or use it to trade other cryptocurrencies.Step 4: Trade Aster (ASTER)Easily trade Aster (ASTER) on HTX's spot market. Simply access your account, select your trading pair, execute your trades, and monitor in real-time. We offer a user-friendly experience for both beginners and seasoned traders.

7.4k Total ViewsPublished 2025.09.19Updated 2026.06.02

Discussions

Welcome to the HTX Community. Here, you can stay informed about the latest platform developments and gain access to professional market insights. Users' opinions on the price of ASTER (ASTER) are presented below.