In brief

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  Aster plans to impose a vesting on its airdrop of 320 million tokens to limit immediate selling pressure.
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  CEO Leonard announced that an official decision will be made within the next two to three days.
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  The airdrop, estimated at 600 million dollars, represents 4 % of the total ASTER token supply.
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  Some observers question the sustainability of this activity fueled by the incentives linked to the airdrop.

A massive airdrop under certain conditions : towards mandatory vesting ?

While James Wynn, the billionaire trader, has bet everything on this product, Leonard, CEO of the decentralized platform Aster, announced during a livestream broadcast this Monday that the team was seriously considering subjecting the season 2 airdrop to vesting.

“I think we reserve the right to do it. We will make a decision and announce it”, he said. The goal is to reduce the immediate selling pressure that could result from the massive circulation of tokens.

Leonard also specified that the official announcement would come within “two to three days”. A decision that, according to him, seeks to maintain a balance between the interests of current token holders and those of new participants in the airdrop.

This airdrop, planned as part of Aster season 2, involves the distribution of 320 million ASTER tokens, approximately 600 million dollars at their current valuation. This amount represents about 4 % of the total supply, Aster having announced that more than 50 % of the total token supply is allocated to users via airdrops.

Key data to remember

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  The amount of the season 2 airdrop : 320 million ASTER tokens ;
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  The estimated valuation : approximately 600 million dollars ;
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  The share of the total supply concerned : 4 % ;
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  The eligibility deadline : October 5 ;
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  The final decision on vesting : expected within two to three days ;
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  The reason for the proposed vesting: to avoid a sharp price drop linked to massive selling of newly distributed tokens.

This announcement comes at a strategic moment, as the points campaign is coming to an end. Uncertainty about the exact distribution methods fuels speculation while keeping the community on edge.

Explosive volumes

At the same time, Aster recorded a record volume of 85 billion dollars in just 24 hours on its perpetual derivatives segment. These figures, published by the DefiLlama data platform, position Aster well ahead of the market.

While this level of activity can be seen as a sign of massive adoption, it also triggers a form of skepticism within the community. Some users openly question Aster’s ability to maintain such volumes beyond the incentive period linked to the airdrop.

This spectacular increase in activity indeed coincides with the final phase of the season 2 points campaign, suggesting that extrinsic incentives could be the main driver of this excitement.

No data currently proves that these volumes are entirely organic or sustainable. The CEO, in his speech, did not directly address this point, but the possible choice of vesting could precisely extend user engagement by encouraging them to stay exposed to the project medium‑term rather than liquidate their positions upon receipt.

If this usage dynamic were confirmed, it would strengthen Aster’s position as a central player in the derivative product DEX market. Otherwise, a volume collapse coupled with uncontrolled selling pressure could erode the platform’s credibility. The decision on vesting, expected in the next 48 to 72 hours, will therefore be a crucial test for Aster’s governance and the resilience of its growth strategy.