Recently, something heartbreaking happened in the crypto world. A major exchange's large holder liquidated all their holdings on January 19th, with a total loss of $4.21 million, of which $3.74 million was lost on ASTER alone. Ironically, this project was once endorsed by a top influencer.

**Big Shots Also Fail**

According to on-chain analysis, this top influencer's cost basis for holding ASTER was around $0.913, with an investment exceeding $2 million. Now, with ASTER dropping to around $0.55, the unrealized loss has reached 37%. Even more influential figures seem to have to accept defeat in the face of the merciless market.

**Why do we always compare to BNB but never seem to break out?**

Many people initially believed in ASTER because they thought it could soar like early BNB—by leveraging decentralized derivatives trading platforms and the upcoming Layer 1 chain to break through. But reality slapped everyone in the face.

Where is the core problem?

The reason BNB became a necessity is because it is the infrastructure of the entire ecosystem—like water, electricity, and gas—you have to use it. Although ASTER has some innovations in high-leverage trading and privacy protection, that’s far from enough to justify its valuation. Users simply have no compelling reason to insist on using this coin.

Having a good story alone isn’t enough for a project; there must be real usage and genuine demand. That’s the biggest dilemma ASTER faces right now.