Side-by-side comparison of two perpetual futures exchanges — updated in real time.
Aster and dYdX are both orderbook-based perp DEXes, but dYdX has the advantage of maturity and a sovereign blockchain, while Aster competes on market breadth and extreme leverage.
dYdX runs a fully decentralized orderbook on its own Cosmos-based L1 chain with 188 markets, 25x max leverage, and maker rebates of 0.011%. Aster operates on BNB Chain with 302 markets, 1001x leverage, and fees of 0.01% maker / 0.035% taker. dYdX's taker fee (0.03%) is notably lower than Aster's (0.035%), and the maker rebate structure makes dYdX particularly attractive for market makers and limit order traders. dYdX's sovereign chain means full decentralization of the orderbook and matching engine, whereas Aster relies on BNB Chain infrastructure. Aster compensates with nearly double the market count, tokenized stock perps, and dramatically higher leverage options. dYdX's ecosystem includes MegaVault (approximately 20% APR) and monthly trading rewards of roughly $1.5M, providing passive income opportunities. Both tokens are live: DYDX (50% community) and ASTER (53.5% community). dYdX's October 2023 V4 launch on its own chain represented a major decentralization milestone in DeFi.
Choose dYdX for lower taker fees, maker rebates, a sovereign blockchain, and passive yield through MegaVault. Choose Aster if you want more markets (302 vs 188), tokenized stocks, or leverage options significantly beyond 25x.
