Decentralized finance (DeFi) data aggregator DefiLlama has quietly reinstated decentralized exchange (DEX) Aster to its analytics platform, several weeks after delisting the project due to disputed trading data.
Dragonfly managing partner Haseeb Qureshi highlighted the development on X, noting the absence of any public discussion or announcement from either Aster or DefiLlama. Qureshi pointed out "big gaps" in the historical data and inquired if the numbers were now legitimate to the pseudonymous DefiLlama founder 0xngmi.
In response, 0xngmi stated that the DefiLlama team still cannot verify Aster's data, describing it as a "black box." He added that while DefiLlama is developing a new system to incorporate more metrics, Aster's team requested to be relisted in the interim. "We’re working on a solution that will include other metrics to make this better, but since this might take some time aster team asked us to relist them meanwhile," 0xngmi wrote.
Aster Data Dispute Sparked Transparency Debate
Aster was initially delisted two weeks prior to this reinstatement after inconsistencies were detected in its on-chain trading data. These inconsistencies raised concerns that a portion of its reported activity might be unverified.
On October 6, 0xngmi explained that the platform's limitations prevented it from distinguishing between wash trading and legitimate activity, as it could not ascertain who was making and filling orders.
The delisting of Aster from the data platform ignited a broader debate regarding the influence of data providers. Supporters of Aster accused DefiLlama of centralization, while critics questioned whether Aster's rise in prominence was authentic or manufactured.
This delisting incident underscored an ongoing challenge in accurately measuring activity within decentralized markets. Such disputes highlight how rapidly data-related questions can impact user trust and platform credibility.
Aster Relisting Left Data Gaps
Although Aster's metrics are now live and visible on DefiLlama once again, the missing historical data has created significant gaps.
Consequently, longitudinal comparisons, such as market-share trends, fee leaderboards, or cumulative revenue charts, are now fragmented. For traders and model builders who depend on these metrics for analysis, these gaps effectively reset Aster's historical footprint on the platform.
Following its reinstatement, Aster continues to rank at the top of the leaderboards for both 24-hour and seven-day perpetual volume. It is closely followed by its main competitors, Hyperliquid and Lighter.