Aster News Today: Crypto Market Stalemate: Is the DEX Boom a Lasting Trend or Just a Short-Lived Bearish Break?

After a stretch of downward momentum, the cryptocurrency market is showing signs of moving toward a more balanced state, as funding rates across leading centralized and decentralized exchanges (CEXs and DEXs) begin to level out. Based on a

, although the market faced another wave of losses earlier in the week, funding rates for several trading pairs have started to approach neutral territory, even as the overall bearish sentiment remains. Funding rates, which indicate the expense of holding leveraged positions in perpetual contracts, are a crucial measure of trader sentiment. Typically, rates above 0.01% point to optimism, while those under 0.005% indicate a pessimistic outlook.

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At the same time, decentralized exchanges are gaining momentum, with

(ASTER) standing out as a leading force in the perpetual DEX sector. The platform recently posted a 24-hour trading volume of $10.6 billion, outpacing competitors such as Lighter ($10.1B) and Hyperliquid ($8B), according to a . This growth highlights a broader trend of traders shifting to decentralized venues, especially after a series of scandals at CEXs, including the FTX collapse. Aster’s hybrid approach—blending off-chain transaction speed with on-chain settlement—has drawn both individual and institutional traders, though questions remain about its long-term viability due to its dependence on incentive schemes.

The combination of steadier funding rates and increased DEX activity points to an evolving and more sophisticated market environment. While CEXs still hold the majority share in derivatives trading, decentralized options are increasingly seen as credible alternatives for leveraged crypto trades. Experts observe that Aster’s expansion, fueled by liquidity rewards and cross-chain features, signals a rising preference for transparent and non-custodial trading solutions. Nevertheless, the platform’s heavy use of token incentives raises concerns about whether users will stay once these rewards are reduced.

Traders are also watching to see if the recent stabilization in funding rates will lead to a significant bullish turnaround or if it simply marks a brief respite in the prevailing bearish trend. Current projections suggest that decentralized derivatives platforms could account for more than a quarter of the global crypto derivatives market by 2026, driven by tighter regulations on centralized exchanges and ongoing improvements in DeFi technology.