ASTER’s price recovered the $1 level after a massive accumulation of roughly 154–155 million tokens by institutional investors and large wallets. This influx, valued at approximately $155 million, reduced the available supply and eased selling pressure, altering liquidity conditions across spot and derivatives venues. The move affects traders and network participants by changing liquidity and increasing systemic risk tied to concentrated holdings.
The purchase was led by several “whales” that increased positions between 10 and 100 million tokens, with at least one wallet that accumulated ASTER worth $126 million and another that spent 4.21 million USDT to acquire 4.6 million tokens at an average price of $0.915. In crypto terminology, a “whale” is an address or entity that holds a large enough amount of tokens to influence the price, and this concentration changed market dynamics by withdrawing liquidity from exchanges.
The price recovery also coincided with public support from a former executive of a relevant exchange, whose personal $2.5 million purchase and public comments drove an intraday increase of over 30% and a monthly cumulative rise noted in the consulted data.
Opposing activity was recorded as well: an actor nicknamed “Anti‑CZ Whale” executed short positions with 3x leverage, with unrealized gains estimated between $21 million and $100 million at retracement peaks.
Context and impact of the ASTER accumulation
On‑chain indicators show sustained capital inflows; the Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) remained in positive territory, indicating steady buying flow according to on‑chain data. However, supply concentration poses significant risks: reports indicate that 96% of the supply would be in the hands of just six addresses, and a future unlock of 360 million tokens scheduled for October 17, 2025 may add additional selling pressure.
Concentration and heavy use of leverage imply a mix of opportunities and vulnerabilities for ASTER. A support around $1 can hold if accumulation and inflows persist, but high leverages—up to 300x in certain markets of the ecosystem—raise the risk of liquidations and extreme volatility. A large token unlock or sales by dominant addresses could trigger drops of 30–50%, and short‑ to mid‑term price forecasts remain highly speculative, depending on the evolution of supply concentration and whale sentiment.
The next verifiable milestone is the unlock of 360 million tokens on October 17, 2025, an event that could drastically change the available supply and validate or reverse the current bullish narrative. According to the consulted data, ASTER’s trajectory will hinge on the intent of large wallets and the market’s response to that additional flow.
