Key takeaways:
Aster (ASTER), the decentralized exchange (DEX) token tied to Binance founder Changpeng “CZ“ Zhao, may flip its rival Hyperliquid’s (HYPE) by market capitalization and rally 480%, multiple analyses show.
ASTER price can grow 480%: analyst
Market analyst Marcell says ASTER could absorb much of HYPE’s market cap, pointing to a straightforward comparative valuation.
At its peak earlier this year, HYPE’s market cap climbed above $18 billion, nearly 4.8 times higher than ASTER’s current $3.74 billion.
If ASTER were to simply match that same valuation, its token price would rise from about $2 today to roughly $9.69 in the future.
Marcell notes that this projection looks increasingly realistic, given ASTER has already surpassed HYPE in daily trading volumes and revenue, and the market may soon reprice it toward HYPE’s former highs.
Another popular analyst, Danny, who predicted ASTER to reach $2, now says it could flip HYPE’s market cap by as early as next week, reaching an $8 billion to $10-billion valuation, more than double the current levels.
Related: Aster dethrones Hyperliquid with $1.25B surge in open interest
He points to an airdrop campaign running until Oct. 5 and a small 4% token unlock on Oct. 17, both expected to fuel farming activity, trading volumes and upward price momentum.
Whales go long ASTER, short HYPE
The strong conviction for ASTER appears amid its growing trend divergence with HYPE.
Since debuting on Sept. 17, ASTER’s price has surged over 7,950%, vaulting into the 36th largest cryptocurrency by market cap at $3.74 billion as of Wednesday.
In contrast, HYPE’s price has dropped by over 16% in the same period.
The widening gap has been reinforced by whale activity. On Monday, a whale wallet offloaded roughly $17 million worth of HYPE and then funneled nearly $9 million of it into ASTER, signaling a strategic rotation into the Binance-backed DEX platform.
Other large investors have also piled into ASTER, with one wallet buying as much as $50 million in a single day this week and another putting in $14 million.
Another “mystery whale” has bought over $75 million in ASTER tokens in the past two days, according to Lookonchain data.
The move is a clear bet that ASTER may continue rising in the coming days, signaling strong confidence among large traders, which may draw retail traders to follow.
This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.
