AltcoinsExchange
|3 min ReadEarly APX bet surges as ASTER swap goes live
Maya Chen
Senior Analyst
Published
Jan 16, 2026
Holders who waited got paid
You do not see this often. A wallet that bought 226,000 of APX in 2022 now sits on more than 7 million. That is the reward for patience.
2 hours ago, the numbers told the story. APX spiked 120 percent after the ASTER upgrade swap launched. It briefly hit an all-time high of 1.98 on Sunday. Market cap reached 827 million. Daily volume hit $79 million. The token is up nearly 8,000 percent from its 2022 low.
According to Arkham Intelligence, wallet 0x9d22 accumulated 3.62 million APX through swaps and transfers when price sat below 0.07. With APX near 1.95, that stack is worth $7.07 million. The data is public.
Why the move hit now
The catalyst is simple. The token upgrade went live. APX holders can swap to ASTER, the native token for the Aster protocol. The exchange window opened on Wednesday. Early participants get better rates. The ratio steps down across five time periods. That setup rewards speed.
APX DAO stakers unlocked positions penalty free starting Tuesday. They could swap recovered tokens on the same terms. DAO rewards ended last week. Supply shifted. Incentives lined up. Price followed.
What APX powers
APX is the token for APX Finance. It is a decentralized exchange for crypto derivatives on BNB Chain and Arbitrum. Traders use an order book and onchain perpetuals with up to 1001x leverage. Liquidity providers earn yield from stablecoin heavy pools. Clear product. Strong reflexivity when volume rises.
The broader picture
Aster’s momentum was fast. It briefly crossed 2 billion in total value locked after the native token launch, then pulled back to 545 million. Trading was heavy. Aster logged $434 million in 24 hours. It ranks among the most active DeFi derivatives platforms, though it still trails Hyperliquid on volume and open interest.
Backing matters. Binance linked YZi Labs incubated Aster and invested in its predecessor, Astherus. A BNB Chain spokesperson confirmed mentorship, exposure, and technical support through the program, and called it the top perpetual DEX on the chain. You can access YZi Labs on X to get more info.
Disclaimer: This document is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views expressed in this document are not, and should not be taken as, investment advice or recommendations. Recipients should do their own due diligence, taking into account their specific financial circumstances, investment objectives and risk tolerance, which are not considered here, before investing. This document is not an offer, or the solicitation of an offer, to buy or sell any of the assets mentioned.