DefiLlama Reinstates Aster Data with Cautionary Notes

After removing Aster's perpetual trading volume data over two weeks ago due to suspicious mirrored Binance volumes, DefiLlama has relisted the decentralized exchange's data. However, this reinstatement comes with important caveats and warnings for users.

Background: The Delisting

In early October, DefiLlama delisted Aster's perpetual data, citing a close correlation with Binance's volumes, which raised concerns about wash trading. This event led to a roughly 10% drop in the ASTER token price.

The Relisting and Its Limitations

Aster's perpetual data is now live on DefiLlama again, but with notable limitations:

• No Historical Data: Previous data is not included.
• Lack of Public Discussion: The relisting was not publicly announced.
• Verification Issues: DefiLlama acknowledges difficulties in verifying the numbers.

DefiLlama's builder, 0xngmi, stated that the platform is working on a solution that will include additional metrics to improve verification. However, due to the Aster team's request, the data was relisted despite these outstanding issues.

The core issue remains the near-perfect correlation between Aster's trading volumes and Binance's perpetual volumes, suggesting potentially non-organic activity.

Key Takeaways

• Proceed with Caution: Users should exercise caution when using Aster, especially considering the ongoing data verification issues.
• DefiLlama's Stance: DefiLlama aims to balance data integrity with providing information requested by projects, and is not punishing projects indefinitely but leaves a path for them to improve their transparency and data integrity.
• Market Reaction: The ASTER token price has seen a positive reaction, rising by approximately 6% following the relisting.

ASTER Token Price

As of this writing, ASTER is trading at around $1.20, a gain of roughly 6% over the past day. However, users should be aware of the potential data integrity concerns before investing or trading on the platform.