Key Notes
- The Rocket Launch initiative rewards traders with ASTER and project tokens funded through buybacks and partner contributions.
- CZ's pardon amplified bullish sentiment across BNB ecosystem tokens, particularly those he has publicly endorsed like Aster.
- Whale accumulation drove the price surge despite lower retail participation, as indicated by declining trading volume during the rally.
ASTER posted a strong 15% rally on October 23, as its price climbed from just under $1.00 to an intraday peak of $1.11, propelling its market capitalization past $2.2 billion. The surge followed the official rollout of Aster’s much-anticipated Rocket Launch campaign, allowing users to gain exposure to early-stage crypto projects before major exchange listings.
According to an official X thread, each Rocket Launch event includes a reward pool composed of ASTER tokens and the participating project’s native tokens. Projects joining the campaign contribute funds and tokens, which Aster uses for ASTER buybacks before merging both assets into a reward pool distributed to eligible traders.
Aster unveils Rocket Launch 🚀✨
Your gateway to early-stage crypto projects and trading rewards is here!Aster is proud to introduce Rocket Launch, designed to provide liquidity support for early-stage projects while giving users early access to emerging on-chain opportunities.… pic.twitter.com/cfkPYC1DtY
— Aster (@Aster_DEX) October 23, 2025
Participants can qualify by meeting campaign-specific trading requirements, such as maintaining the required ASTER balance in both Spot and Perpetual accounts and achieving the designated trading volume across supported pairs.
The team confirmed that winners will share $200,000 worth of ASTER rewards, reinforcing community engagement and market participation.
CZ Pardon Intensifies Buy Pressure on Aster
Donald Trump’s presidential pardon of Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ), confirmed shortly after the Rocket launch campaign’s announcement, intensified the buy pressure on Aster. The announcement reignited optimism across the crypto market, particularly for projects linked to the exchange, with Aster among the top trending tokens within the BNB BNB $1 117 24h volatility: 5.1% Market cap: $155.48 B Vol. 24h: $4.28 B ecosystem.
CZ has frequently praised Aster’s infrastructure in recent months, highlighting its advanced liquidity routing and hybrid DEX model in multiple X posts since its launch in September. His public endorsements and rumored advisory involvement have strengthened market perception of Aster as a next-gen DEX capable of bridging centralized and decentralized liquidity pools.
The dual tailwinds from the Rocket Launch campaign and CZ’s pardon created a perfect setup for bullish momentum, helping Aster reclaim its multi-week high above $1.10 and reaffirm investor confidence heading into Q4.
Aster price action, October 23, 2025 | Source: Coinmarketcap
Following the pardon news, market data trends revealed active whale involvement during the Aster rally. Notably, Coinmarketcap data shows that Aster’s 15% price breakout on October 23 was accompanied by a 5% decline in trading volume. This signals that the rally was mainly driven by large buy orders from a few whale participants, rather than retail-driven market momentum.
