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Aster price forms bullish reversal as buyback begins ahead of schedule
Aster (ASTER) is showing early signs of a technical recovery after the protocol moved Stage 4 of its buyback program live sooner than planned. The token traded around $0.984 at press time, down roughly 1.8% on the day, but recent on-chain buyback activity and a rise in trading volume suggest renewed interest from traders and holders.
Aster hourly chart
Key market snapshot
Aster is currently trading near $0.98 after bouncing from the $0.92 support area. Over the past week the token has fallen about 15% and remains roughly 59% below its all-time high of $2.41 from Sept. 24. The intraday range at press time showed a weekly band between $0.9007 and $1.18. Traders should note the sharp increase in liquidity: 24‑hour trading volume jumped to $556 million, a 62% rise, while derivatives volume climbed 31% to $1.27 billion and open interest rose 3.6%.
These flows indicate market participants are adding exposure during a volatile stretch, increasing both spot and derivatives activity around ASTER. Higher volumes alongside rising open interest often point to conviction among larger traders and market makers.
Stage 4 buyback activated early
On Dec. 2 the Aster team announced on X that Stage 4 of its buyback program was launched eight days ahead of schedule to support holders in unstable market conditions. The program is executing on-chain and the wallet address provided for the buyback operations is 0x573ca9FF6b7f164dfF513077850d5CD796006fF4.
The buyback structure follows earlier stages: protocol fees fund on-chain purchases and a portion of purchased tokens can be allocated to burning. Depending on trading volume, the burn allocation may reach up to 50% of tokens bought. Across previous stages the protocol has repurchased 155.72 million ASTER, including 55.72 million in Stage 3 alone, and has 77.8 million scheduled for burn on Dec. 5.
Community responses have been largely positive, with holders framing the early execution as a sign the team prioritizes tangible value support over promises. During past high-volume periods the buyback engine has drawn more than $2 million per day, helping reduce circulating supply while bolstering liquidity incentives and future airdrop mechanics.
Technical outlook: bullish divergence but trend still developing
The Aster price chart reveals a short-term shift after late-November weakness. The token dipped into the $0.92–$0.94 area before buyers returned with heavier volume, producing a breakout of a short-term descending structure on Dec. 1 and initiating a modest upward trajectory.
Momentum indicators
Momentum tools show early recovery signals. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) formed a clear bullish divergence: while price posted a lower low, the RSI recorded a higher low — a classic indication that downside momentum is waning and a trend reversal may be underway. The Stochastic RSI and Commodity Channel Index (CCI) have both turned higher from oversold readings, reinforcing improving short-term momentum.
That said, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) remains negative and the Average Directional Index (ADX) sits near 20, which suggests the trend is nascent and not yet strongly established.
Key price levels to watch
Several short-term moving averages (notably the 10MA and 20MA) still sit above current price, making $1.00 the immediate psychological and technical test for bulls. A decisive daily close above $1.00 would represent the first clean reclaim of local resistance and could open the gate toward the $1.06–$1.14 zone where previous breakdown points lie. Clearing that area would complete the rebound pattern that began on Dec. 1.
Conversely, if price slips below $0.95 sellers could regain control, potentially driving Aster back to the $0.92 level and, under heavier negative sentiment, into the $0.88–$0.90 zone.
What this means for traders and holders
For traders, the combination of an early on-chain buyback, rising trading and derivatives volume, and bullish RSI divergence creates a more favorable short-term setup — but risks remain while momentum indicators and key moving averages have yet to fully flip bullish. Long-term holders should monitor circulating supply changes as scheduled burns and continued program execution will tighten supply and could support price if demand returns.
In short, Aster's early Stage 4 buyback and improving momentum indicators make a compelling case for cautious optimism, but traders should wait for confirmations such as a daily close above $1.00 and continued volume support before assuming the rebound is sustained.
Source: crypto
Comments
coinflux
Hmm, early buyback sounds nice but is this even real support? Could be a short pump, wait for daily close above $1.00… not convinced yet
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