ASTER has entered a decisive phase after its latest $1.37 million token unlock, with the majority of newly released supply flowing into the ecosystem. According to unlock release reports, more than 70% of the unlocked tokens were allocated to ecosystem staking and airdrops, adding fresh supply as the altcoin's price continued to trade near the lower end of its long-standing range. The timing is particularly notable since it comes at a time when price action has lacked the required volatility to absorb the additional supply effectively.
Aster's native token, ASTER, continues trading near $0.61 despite the protocol implementing a significant buyback program. According to reports from AMBCrypto, the protocol has repurchased more than 5.3 million ASTER since late June, with 99% of daily platform fees automatically used to buy tokens on the open market. The program operates under revised tokenomics where an equivalent number of tokens are burned from project reserves, effectively reducing both supply and emissions.
Despite the token unlock, network usage has strengthened significantly. On July 29, Aster generated $341,000 in fees, marking its highest daily figure this month, as reported by AMBCrypto. This combination suggests that demand within the protocol has been healthy, even as new tokens entered circulation. The protocol has also significantly reduced ongoing emissions, with only around 34% of its maximum eight-billion-token supply currently in circulation. However, the key question remains whether buybacks can absorb the additional supply quickly enough to prevent further downside.
From a technical perspective, ASTER appears trapped inside the same range that has contained its price action since February 9, fluctuating between $0.595 and $0.775. At press time, the price was pressing against the lower boundary of that range while trading below all major Exponential Moving Averages, suggesting sellers continue to control the broader trend. A liquidation cluster worth more than $1 million sits near $0.58, making it the next major level to watch if the range support fails. ASTER's Weighted Funding Rates remained positive at 0.0068%, indicating that leveraged traders are still positioning for a potential recovery despite recent weakness in price.
