XRP Trading Volumes on Aster DEX Mirror Binance Activity, Sparking Market Manipulation Concerns

Crypto analytics platform DefiLlama removed Aster's perpetual trading data after discovering XRP volume patterns that precisely matched Binance's activity, raising questions about the decentralized exchange's reporting practices. The near-identical volume correlation suggests potential wash trading or data manipulation, as organic decentralized trading typically shows variation between platforms. DefiLlama's anonymous founder 0xngmi confirmed the delisting until verification processes can confirm legitimate trading activity. Despite these concerns, Aster had recently climbed to top positions in daily fees and volume rankings among perpetual DEXs, briefly surpassing established platforms like Hyperliquid. The platform's native token ASTER has demonstrated remarkable performance, surging from $0.09 to over $2 within three weeks, delivering 1,500% returns to early investors. XRP and ETH volumes significantly contributed to Aster's trading metrics. While Aster maintained a "low" risk score in wash trading models, the perfect correlation with Binance volumes prompted immediate action. Meanwhile, Binance officially listed ASTER with a "Seed Tag" designation, drawing additional attention given Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao's advisory role and public support for the project. Following initial 10% declines during market-wide corrections and the DefiLlama delisting, ASTER prices recovered completely after Binance's listing announcement.