Aster token falls sharply despite intensified buybacks, as investors question market impact, supply discipline, and upcoming network milestones.
The Aster token extended losses despite intensified buybacks, drawing criticism from traders and long-term holders. Although the team stressed ongoing support, the market sentiment was weak. As a result, price action took over, and operational updates and future roadmap commitments took a back seat.
Aster Clarifies Buyback Execution Amid Market Pressure
Initially, the Aster team responded to confusion around its Stage Four buyback program by an official X update. Contrary to community speculation, buybacks never ceased according to the statement. Instead, it happened that execution picked up sharply in early December with increased volatility.
On December 8 UTC, Aster raised the buyback execution to four million dollars a day. As a result, the accelerated tranche lasted for eight days. In all, some thirty-two million dollars was placed through this phase, which is a considerable capital commitment.
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By the end of this tranche, close to ninety percent of cumulative Stage Four fee income covered buybacks. A few minutes later regular buybacks began again on December 17 UTC. These purchases are now made in the existing framework using previous day fee revenue.
Despite these actions, ASTER traded at $0.68, down about twelve percent in a twenty-four hour period. Therefore, the frustration of investors grew even greater, especially as the price momentum was still decidedly negative in major trading venues.
Moreover, Stage Four ends on December 21 UTC. Afterward, the buyback program will still continue, according to the team. However, particular parameters for the next phase are still undergoing review and will therefore be revealed in the future.
Stage Five Airdrop and Aster Chain Timeline Take Shape
Looking into the future, Aster affirmed the launch of its fifth airdrop stage, called Crystal, starting on December 22. This phase is the lowest emission airdrop that has taken place so far. Consequently, the initiative is a sign of higher discipline in supply ahead of Aster Chain development.
Stage Five will last for six weeks, ending on February 1, 2026. The total allocation is 1.2 percent of the total supply, or about ninety-six million ASTER tokens. Additionally, participants may choose an optional three-month vesting period when they claim.
According to the team, Crystal is a bridge towards the Aster Chain rollout. The testnet should be ready by late December 2025. Meanwhile, mainnet deployment will be in the first quarter of 2026.
Furthermore, features such as staking and governance are planned to be launched in the second quarter of 2026. These milestones focus on strengthening the long-term token utility and protocol engagement throughout the ecosystem.
Aster stressed that by launching its own Layer One network, it has complete control over fees, validators, and upgrades. Therefore, the potential of token value might be more in line with infrastructure growth and less on external dependencies.
Currently, 53.5 percent of total ASTER supply is used for community airdrops. The team said that wide distribution promotes liquidity and actual participation. However, on emission discipline, there is a stated priority.
Crystal comes vesting mechanisms with continuous buyback and burn policies. As such, Aster has stuck to its long-term strategy, balancing distribution, supply control and alignment to holders despite near-term market weakness.
Source: https://www.livebitcoinnews.com/aster-token-slides-despite-accelerated-buyback-push-and-supply-discipline-plans/
