Aster DEX Implements 0% Maker Fees Across All Markets, Removing Volume Barriers

Key Takeaways

• Universal 0% Maker Fees: Effective February 2, 2026, Aster DEX has eliminated maker fees across all markets, removing the previous VIP volume requirements to allow all users—retail and institutional—to provide liquidity for free.
• Democratizing Liquidity Provision: By dropping minimum trading thresholds, Aster aims to tighten bid-ask spreads and challenge major competitors like Hyperliquid, making passive order placement more accessible than ever.

Aster DEX, a leading perpetual decentralized exchange (perp DEX), has officially rolled out a major update to its competitive fee structure. Effective 12:00 PM UTC on February 2, 2026, maker fees have been reduced to 0% across all markets, with no volume requirements or tiered status necessary.

The announcement was made via the platform’s official X account (@Aster_DEX), stating: “We’re moving to 0% maker fees across all markets, effective 12PM UTC, Feb 2. No volume requirements. If you provide liquidity, you don’t pay for it.” The update marks a shift from the previous model, where 0% fees were reserved for high-volume VIP traders and designated market makers.

Eliminating the “Volume Barrier”

Traditionally, perp DEXs use a maker-taker model to ensure deep order books. While makers provide liquidity by placing limit orders, they usually require high trading volumes to qualify for zero-fee tiers. By removing these thresholds, Aster is effectively democratizing liquidity provision.

Retail traders can now place “passive” limit orders with the same cost efficiency as institutional market makers. This move is designed to tighten bid-ask spreads and challenge the dominance of competitors like Hyperliquid, which has seen explosive growth in early 2026.

Platform Background and Evolution

Aster DEX emerged in late 2024 following the merger of Astherus and APX Finance. It has since become a powerhouse on the BNB Chain, while also supporting Ethereum, Solana, and Arbitrum.

• Key Features: Aster offers up to 1001x leverage (rather than 200x) on select high-liquidity pairs and supports unique yield-bearing collateral like asBNB and the high-yield stablecoin USDF.
• The “CZ” Connection: While often associated with Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ), he clarified in late 2025 that he serves primarily as an advisor. The platform is backed by YZi Labs (the independent successor to the original Binance Labs) and is staffed by several former Binance engineers.
• Asset Classes: Beyond crypto, Aster is a leader in 24/7 Stock Perpetuals and tokenized Real World Assets (RWA), allowing users to trade NVIDIA (NVDA), Tesla (TSLA), and even tokenized Gold/Silver with crypto collateral.

Strategic Context

This fee removal follows a series of aggressive growth tactics by the Aster team. In December 2025, the platform temporarily eliminated both maker and taker fees for stock perpetuals to capture the TradFi-to-DeFi migration. In January 2026, they launched an automatic $ASTER buyback program, utilizing 20–40% of daily platform fees to support token value.

While the 0% maker fee removes a direct revenue stream, the platform expects to offset this through increased taker volume and the massive influx of liquidity that zero-fee environments typically attract. Community sentiment remains bullish, as the $ASTER token has recently tested the $1.00 psychological resistance level amid these ecosystem expansions.

Traders can access the new fee structure through both Simple Mode (for one-click trading) and Pro Mode (for advanced order types).