How does Aster work?

Aster is a perpetual (perps/futures) DEX built on BSC. Here's how it works:

What it does

• Instead of a centralized exchange holding your funds and margin, Aster runs on-chain on Binance Smart Chain. You trade with leverage against a smart contract rather than a broker.
• It's a DEX, meaning no account, no withdrawal to your bank, no platform custody of your assets — you connect a wallet and trade directly against the protocol's liquidity.

Key features

• High leverage — up to 1001x in "Simple Mode," with pro trading tools (chart, order types) for more advanced users. Note that extreme leverage magnifies both gains and losses, and perp positions can be liquidated if your margin drops below the maintenance level.
• On-chain perps — because positions, margin, and liquidations are handled by the contract, transparency is the pitch: you can audit the mechanism rather than trusting an exchange's internal books.

The honest trade-offs vs. a CEX

• DEXs typically have thinner liquidity and wider spreads on large orders than a major centralized exchange.
• High leverage + low liquidity = fast liquidations in volatile moves.
• You carry your own key/self-custody risk.

Where to trade it — AsterTrade Now is the platform itself (open the app, BSC only).

Want me to compare it against the other perp DEXs in our directory (Lighter, GMX, edgeX, GMTrade) on fees, leverage, and liquidity?