The industry suddenly blew up a big scoop—super trader Lina jumped ship to a leading platform, and the market immediately started to hype: This time ASTER is going to da moon! 100U each is not a dream!

After all, she has previously handled the legendary collaborations of ARB and $HYPE, directly sending HYPE to the moon. Why has ASTER been constantly suppressed? It's simply because there is a giant mountain of HYPE blocking the way.

But I have to pour a basin of cold water.

In the long run, Lina's joining is indeed a good thing. Just look at her resume - a top player in L2 ecosystem expansion, skilled at addressing substantial issues on the chain. The foundation of ASTER originally relies on the ecological position of that underlying chain.

But the problem arises.

The key point is here: Although ASTER benefits from ecological dividends, it is essentially an independent DEX project. It relies on the support of large platforms to have the qualification to compete with HYPE. What if it is defined as "an accessory of a certain ecological chain"?

Then what’s the point?

Directly downgraded from a potential leader to a subordinate? ASTER holders are feeling completely broken, alright.

So Lina joining is not a savior for ASTER at all. In the short term, it's possible that it may even go sideways or drop.

Furthermore, HYPE is currently very stable, an independent L1, with a market value that can hold up, and there is no pressure in the short term. As for ASTER? Its trump card is being embedded in a big platform, gradually eating into HYPE's share by relying on a massive retail investor flow.

Lina's position this time is Growth Executive Director, focusing on user growth. She will most likely throw her energy into the meme ecosystem and platform influence expansion.

In the long run, as the platform users increase, ASTER will naturally benefit. But in the short term? Resources may very well be burned out by other projects, leaving ASTER to bear the burden alone. Such precedents... have not been unheard of in the industry.

To be honest, whether AST can turn things around next depends on whether it can break through the 1.5U barrier again.