NEAR Protocol News

A sudden disclosure by Binance founder Changpeng Zhao set off a sharp move in Aster's token price and trading patterns. Related Reading: Forget Billions--XRP Could Hit Trillions, Leading Expert Says According to reports, Zhao said he personally owns just over 2 million ASTER tokens -- a holding that has been valued at about $2.5 million in coverage of the event. That admission prompted a rapid buying wave and heavy media noise, with traders and observers trying to sort what the move means for the project and the broader4 market. Aster Trading Activity On Fire As Price Rises Based on reports, ASTER climbed from roughly $0.91 to a peak near $1.26 on the day the disclosure hit newsfeeds. Volume also surged: one snapshot put 24-hour turnover at around $224 million before the announcement and at more than $2 billion afterward. Platform metrics moved too; total value locked on the Aster system reached about $1 billion dollars in recent updates. Market watchers pointed out that those jumps happened within hours of Zhao's statement, pushing the token into headlines and onto many traders' watchlists. Full disclosure. I just bought some Aster today, using my own money, on @Binance. I am not a trader. I buy and hold. pic.twitter.com/wvmBwaXbKD -- CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance) November 2, 2025 Supply Concerns And Background Ties Reports have disclosed that Aster's circulating supply stands at about 2 billion tokens while total supply is 8 billion. That gap has raised alarms among analysts who say future token unlocks could add selling pressure. At the same time, discussion has grown about whether Zhao's stake represents a purely personal bet or something tied to past venture ties, like connections to YZi Labs (previously Binance Labs). Some community voices welcomed the vote of confidence, while others urged caution and more disclosure about timing and intent. Whales, Shorts And The Need For Transparency Traders already placed big bets in both directions after the pop. Some large holders were reported to be taking profits, while short sellers were opening positions on the belief that the rally could be fleeting. Based on reports, competition with other derivatives and exchange projects -- names like Hyperliquid were mentioned in analyst commentary -- will test whether Aster can keep user interest beyond the headlines. Observers also flagged that massive daily volume spikes are often followed by quick retracement if underlying usage does not grow. Related Reading: XRP's Next Earthquake: Billions Set To Flow In, 'Supply Shock' Coming--Analyst Volume, Unlock Schedules, And Product Signals Investors and reporters will be watching three main things: whether high trading volume holds up, how many tokens are set to unlock and hit markets, and whether the project builds real, steady user activity on its platform. According to current data, those variables will likely determine if this move becomes a lasting repricing or a short-lived event. Featured image from Gemini, chart from TradingView