Aster Surpasses Circle and Uniswap to Rise to Second in Global Fee Earnings Behind Only Tether

One of the new tokens on an explosive rise this year is , and the Aster decentralized platform (DEX) has overtaken both Circle and Uniswap in global fee earnings. According to , Aster generated $14.33 million in fees within 24 hours, securing the second spot worldwide behind only Tether (USDT).

Aster’s surge past established giants like , the issuer of USDC, Hyperliquid, and Uniswap signals not only heightened adoption but also growing investor confidence. But there’s more to its unprecedented rise. 

ASTR Shows Celebrity Rumours Still Move the Markets

Aster’s rise to the top is far from a coincidence. Part of the project’s momentum can be traced to high-profile endorsements and associations. Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) has been linked to Aster through public statements and speculative reports of strategic ties. 

The “CZ effect” has historically fueled massive growth for projects associated with Binance or its leadership, and Aster appears to be the latest beneficiary of that ecosystem. Additionally, the discovery of an alleged wallet linked to YouTube influencer MrBeast, who has reportedly accumulated in Aster tokens, strengthened the fear of missing out (FOMO) in the broader crypto market. 

The Aster story corroborates the belief that influential figures can manipulate the markets even without saying a word. On the one side, a well-known backer (especially an industry veteran like CZ) can reassure retail investors that the project has legitimacy or at least strong tokenomics and roadmap. This creates a launchpad for the project to scale at a superb rate. 

However, such projects may also be overhyped and ultimately fail to reach their potential. So, the question remains whether Aster can convert its current hype to real, sustainable utility to ensure it remains in demand. 

Changpeng Zhao Continues to Show Ecosystem Support 

For CZ, Aster is just a project that has him on the advisory team. According to a to clear the air on X Space, he maintained that he serves as an advisor to Aster, the project operates independently and is not backed by Binance. That means Binance has no stake and doesn’t endorse the project. 

Nonetheless, the crypto billionaire continues to play a role in shaping the project’s future, and his impact is not insignificant. For years, Uniswap, Circle, and ETH dominated fee charts, but Aster’s rapid rise suggests that new contenders can disrupt established blockchains through viral growth, ecosystem incentives, and high-profile associations. For now, the market has sent a clear message: Aster is no longer a fringe player but a top-tier network in terms of revenue, with ambitions to challenge the very largegest names in crypto. However, there’s so much work to be done to hold down its current position or overthrow USDT.