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Aster outlines 2026 roadmap and unveils Aster Chain
Decentralized perpetual exchange Aster has published its roadmap for the first half of 2026, announcing the development of Aster Chain — a dedicated Layer-1 blockchain engineered to handle high-volume derivatives trading and strengthen the platform’s infrastructure.
Launch timeline and developer tools
According to the company statement, internal tests for Aster Chain will begin in late 2025, with the mainnet launch targeted for Q1 2026. The new chain will ship with Aster Code, a developer toolkit designed to simplify deployment of decentralized applications (dApps) and trading infrastructure on the network. The toolkit aims to attract builders focused on low-latency markets, on-chain order matching, and margin derivatives.
Privacy, on-chain order book and fees
Aster says the Layer-1 will include privacy-enhanced options, such as zero-knowledge features, plus an on-chain order book designed to deliver functionality closer to centralized exchanges. The architecture is being built to reduce transaction fees and increase throughput for perpetuals trading, addressing current scalability and security bottlenecks faced by derivatives platforms operating across generic smart contract networks.
Token governance, staking and social features
Later in 2026, Aster intends to roll out staking and governance systems for the ASTER token, giving holders formal voting rights and a greater role in protocol decisions. The platform also plans to add social and smart-money tools that let users follow top-performing traders and monitor live positions — features aimed at improving transparency and trader discovery for retail and institutional users alike.
Fiat rails and multi-chain strategy
To lower the onboarding barrier, Aster will integrate fiat on- and off-ramps through third-party partners, enabling easier conversion between traditional currencies and crypto. While Aster has operated as a multi-chain derivatives platform to date, the deployment of its own Layer-1 signals a strategic move toward specialized infrastructure tailored for margin and perpetual markets.
Why it matters: A purpose-built chain with privacy options, an on-chain order book and reduced fees could reshape how derivatives are traded on decentralized venues, improving performance for high-frequency and high-volume strategies.
Earlier this week, Aster also announced it activated its Stage 4 buyback ahead of schedule to support holders during volatile market conditions; the program is live on-chain.
Source: crypto
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