BlackRock’s Aster ETF? A Staked Conspiracy!

by

In a move that would make even the most seasoned wizards of the financial world raise an eyebrow, Changpeng Zhao-formerly of Binance, now a man with more crypto than a dragon’s hoard-has debunked the latest viral tale: that BlackRock, the titanic force of asset management, had filed for a staked Aster ETF. Spoiler: it’s probably not true. 🐍💰

The connection between CZ and Aster? It’s like a love story written by a spreadsheet. CZ, ever the enthusiastic investor, has poured his hard-earned (or perhaps stolen) coins into the decentralized derivatives exchange, which has, in turn, caused the price to rocket higher than a dragon on a caffeine rush. 🚀📈

Did BlackRock File For An Aster ETF?

A social media post, which somehow managed to look official enough to pass a Turing test, claimed BlackRock had filed for a staked ASTER ETF with the SEC. The post included a document that looked so real, it could have fooled a seasoned lawyer with a hangover. 🧑‍⚖️😴

UPDATE 🚨

BLACKROCK HAVE JUST FILED FOR A STAKED $ASTER ETF!

– That Martini Guy ₿ (@MartiniGuyYT) December 9, 2025

The image spread like wildfire, causing investors to panic and sell their crypto faster than a wizard fleeing a dragon. However, closer inspection revealed it was a photoshopped masterpiece, with the document actually referring to the iShares Staked Ethereum Trust ETF. A classic case of ‘close, but no cigar’-or should I say, ‘close, but no Ethereum.’ 🧼🧯

Still, a closer look at the image reveals it is photoshopped. The description in the document actually refers to the iShares Staked Ethereum Trust ETF, a real filing BlackRock submitted on December 5. Furthermore, the asset manager has made it clear in the past that its current focus on crypto ETFs is limited to Bitcoin and Ethereum.

CZ also responded promptly to debunk the misinformation. He cautioned his followers that even established crypto opinion leaders can be deceived.

“Fake. Even big KOLs gets fooled once in a while. Aster doesn’t need these fake photoshopped pics to grow,” he wrote.

Notably, the connection between CZ and Aster dates back a long way. In September, the executive voiced his support for the platform. Furthermore, YZi Labs (formerly Binance Labs) holds a minority stake in the DEX.

In November, CZ revealed that he had personally purchased about $2 million worth of Aster tokens as a long-term investment. This triggered a 30% surge in ASTER token’s price.

ASTER Price Slips Despite Buyback Program

Meanwhile, the ASTER token is facing market headwinds despite the project’s latest buyback effort. On December 8, the team announced that it would initiate an accelerated Stage 4 buyback program, increasing its daily purchases to approximately $4 million worth of tokens, up from the previous pace of around $3 million.

“This acceleration allows us to bring the accumulated Stage 4 fees since Nov 10 on-chain more quickly, providing more support during volatile conditions. Based on current fee levels, we estimate reaching steady-state execution in 8-10 days, after which daily Stage 4 buybacks will continue at 60-90% of the previous day’s revenue till the end of Stage 4,” Aster posted.

So far, the move has not translated into upward price momentum. ASTER fell nearly 4% over the past 24 hours, extending recent losses.

At the time of writing, the altcoin was changing hands at $0.93. Trading activity also weakened, with daily volume dropping by 41.80%.

Read More

2025-12-09 15:03