Aster has activated the testnet for its new Layer-1 blockchain, ahead of the mainnet launch expected in the first quarter of this year. Key aspects of this upgrade include a significant increase in privacy, lower latency, and improved developer tools.
Aster presented this move as the culmination of a recent merger and as part of a broader strategic push to integrate trading infrastructure, staking, and capital inflows into a single protocol. For market participants, the core objective is to reduce transaction costs and shorten settlement times, while laying the groundwork for incorporating native staking and governance mechanisms in later stages.
According to Aster’s published roadmap, the main milestones are concentrated in the first half of 2026. The immediate advancement is the launch of the testnet, which is already live. The mainnet launch is scheduled for the first quarter of 2026 and will be accompanied by a developer toolkit called “Aster Code,” designed to facilitate integrations and accelerate ecosystem adoption.
In parallel, the project plans to enable fiat inflow and outflow gateways through third-party providers. These integrations aim to expand access for new users and improve liquidity depth, a key component for sustaining institutional-scale trading activity within the protocol.
A key advancement for Aster’s future
From a technical perspective, the roadmap highlights sub-second execution capabilities and virtually nonexistent fees. Aster will utilize zero-knowledge proofs (ZKP) to conceal trade sizes and enable features called “Hidden Orders,” which allow for private order execution without sacrificing on-chain verifiability. According to the project, this design aims to make high-volume, low-latency trading viable directly on-chain.
Developments planned for the second quarter of 2026 include the activation of native ASTER token staking, with associated returns, and the implementation of on-chain governance. In addition, a product called “Aster Smart Money” will be launched, allowing users to follow prominent traders and share strategies in real time, thus expanding the token’s utility and participation within the ecosystem.
For traders and dealing desks, the combination of ultra-fast settlement and low fees is particularly attractive for strategies that prioritize speed and cost efficiency. ZKP-based privacy features could protect sensitive strategies and increase the protocol’s appeal to institutional players requiring discretion. If the fiat gateways are successfully implemented, they could also reduce frictions relevant to large capital flows.
Looking ahead, market participants should closely monitor the mainnet launch timeline and the effective rollout of fiat pathways and staking. The successful implementation of verifiable privacy, low latency, and low costs could position Aster as a suitable platform for higher-frequency strategies.
