As of January 19, 2026, Aster (ASTER) is under heavy pressure, printing a fresh all-time low at $0.5420. The sharp drop comes amid a broader market sell-off triggered by escalating US–EU trade tensions, which wiped out nearly $875 million in leveraged long positions across crypto. Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) are both down 2–3% on the day, and smaller-cap tokens like ASTER have taken the brunt of the impact.
ASTER has now fallen more than 12% in the past 24 hours, but beneath the surface, the price structure is beginning to tell a more nuanced story. Interestingly, the current setup closely resembles the bottoming fractal previously seen in Hyperliquid (HYPE) — a structure that ultimately preceded a powerful upside reversal.
ASTER Mirrors HYPE’s Bottoming Path
A closer look at the comparative chart reveals striking similarities between ASTER’s current price action and HYPE’s April 2025 bottoming phase.
HYPE’s move started with a sharp correction following its all-time high. Price slipped below the 50-day moving average, signaling a momentum shift. Instead of continuing lower aggressively, HYPE entered a rounding bottom structure, reflecting gradual seller exhaustion. The final low came after a deep 73% drawdown from the peak, marking a clear inflection point in market sentiment.
What followed was critical. HYPE reclaimed both the 50-day and 100-day moving averages, confirming a trend shift. That technical reclaim ignited a breakout from the rounding base, leading to a 207% rally — one of HYPE’s most notable reversals of 2025.
ASTER now appears to be walking a similar road.
After topping near its all-time high around $2.42, ASTER entered a prolonged corrective phase and lost its 50-day moving average. Price has since been carving out what looks like a rounding bottom, with today’s low near $0.54, representing a steep 77% drawdown from the top. The structure, momentum loss, and gradual flattening strongly resemble HYPE’s pre-reversal behavior highlighted in the fractal comparison.
What’s Next for ASTER?
If this fractal continues to unfold, ASTER may be approaching a critical inflection point.
From a bullish perspective, the first key confirmation would be a reclaim of the 50-day moving average, currently sitting near $0.7983. A sustained move above this level would signal weakening bearish momentum and growing buyer confidence.
Beyond that, the major level to watch lies at the neckline resistance near $1.4066. A clean breakout above this zone could shift ASTER into a broader recovery phase, potentially mirroring the type of upside expansion HYPE experienced once its reversal was confirmed.
Adding to the constructive backdrop, Aster activated its Strategic Buyback Reserve today. The protocol is now automatically repurchasing $ASTER using 20–40% of daily platform fees, expanding its Stage 5 buyback program launched in December 2025. These buybacks are on-chain verifiable, dynamically adjusted based on market conditions, and designed to gradually reduce circulating supply. Notably, early buyback activity is already visible on-chain, and the timing coincides with ASTER printing fresh lows — a move widely viewed as a stabilization effort.
Key Risk Note
While fractal similarities can provide valuable context, they are not guarantees. Market conditions, liquidity profiles, and sentiment can vary significantly between assets and cycles. ASTER still needs confirmation through moving average reclaims and follow-through buying. A failure to hold current support zones would weaken the bottoming thesis and open the door to further downside.
Bottom Line
ASTER appears to be approaching a make-or-break zone. The emerging rounding bottom, historical fractal similarity to HYPE, and the launch of an active buyback mechanism all point toward a potential shift in momentum. Whether this structure evolves into a confirmed bottom or turns into another pause before continuation lower will depend on how price reacts around the 50-day moving average and key resistance levels in the days ahead.