Aster (ASTER) has emerged as a top trending token on CoinGecko, with its value surging over 2,400% since its launch.

The projects popularity is fueled by its Season 2 points program and key endorsements from industry figures, including former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ).

ASTER Climbs Rankings

The crypto data aggregator reported via X that XLP has achieved the top spot on CoinGecko after a recent airdrop valued at about $10,000 was distributed to holders. Close behind on the rankings are the perpetual tokens ASTER and AVNT.

ASTER is the native token of a decentralized perpetual futures exchange by the same name thats challenging Hyperliquids dominance in the sector. It runs on multiple blockchains, including Ethereum and Solana, but it primarily exists on the BNB Chain.

ASTER is trading at around $1.78 today, down by 15.3% in the last 24 hours, but remains up by over 181% over the last week. Since its launch on September 17, the coin’s value has surged by over 2,400%, pushing its market capitalization above $2.9 billion and securing the 50th position on CoinGecko.

Aster has been around for over a year, but activity on the platform exploded following the launch of its native token. Since then, the exchange has overtaken Hyperliquid in key metrics. DefiLlama data shows that it reported $35.86 billion in daily perpetual trading volume, surpassing its rival’s $17.16 billion.

The strong performance has attracted new traders who see the platform’s liquidity as a competitive advantage. On-chain data reveals that whales have been accumulating ASTER steadily since last week, with more than $48 million invested in the token. Separately, another large holder recently pocketed $7 million in profits from an initial outlay of $300k.

Why Aster Is Exploding in Popularity

Part of the excitement is coming from the project’s community push around Season 2 of its points farming program. The campaign rewards users for trading, referrals, and margin usage. Crypto analyst Shawn shared on X that only 4% of tokens are released in this round, but participation is already 30 times higher than in Season 1.

Aster has also received backing from prominent figures in the crypto industry, including Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ), who has publicly endorsed the project and promoted it on his X account. The platform is also supported by YZi Labs, Zhao’s private investment firm, which provides mentorship, technical support, and marketing exposure.

Additionally, crypto trader James Wynn has promoted Aster as a superior product to its competitor Hyperliquid. Wynn noted that its counterpart is facing a slow and painful death as the newer perpetuals DEX gains ground in the industry.