# Aster Token Release Schedule: Unlocks Cut 97% by the Staking Switch (2026) > The ASTER release schedule after Aster replaced fixed monthly unlocks with staking-only emissions, a reported ~97% cut in new supply. Before/after numbers. - Source: https://asterpedia.com/ecosystem/aster-token-unlock-schedule - Category: ecosystem - Published: 2026-07-07 - Updated: 2026-08-14 - Publisher: Asterpedia (https://asterpedia.com) --- A token release schedule (people also call it the unlock schedule, and the two mean the same thing) is where a lot of crypto supply stories quietly go wrong. A project can have a great product and still bleed price for months because a fixed vesting calendar dumps new tokens onto the market every single week, regardless of demand. On March 30, 2026 Aster changed exactly that part of its tokenomics: it scrapped the fixed monthly unlock schedule for the [ASTER token](https://asterpedia.com/ecosystem/what-is-the-aster-token) and replaced it with a staking-only emission model. That cut the amount of new supply entering circulation each month by about 97%. This page is the site's reference for that schedule: the dates, the per-epoch numbers, and the mechanics of how new ASTER reaches circulation. It covers only that. The [buyback-and-burn program](https://asterpedia.com/ecosystem/aster-fee-buyback-burn-tokenomics) that removes *existing* tokens is a separate mechanism, and we cross-link it below rather than rehash it here. If you want the supply picture, you need both halves, but they are not the same event. Nothing on this page is financial, legal, or tax advice. ![Stacked crypto coins on a dark reflective surface, illustrating token supply and emissions](https://asterpedia.com/images/ecosystem/aster-token-unlock-schedule/hero.webp) *Photo by [DS stories](https://www.pexels.com/@ds-stories) on [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-stack-of-silver-bitcoin-coins-7267492/), used for illustrative purposes.* > **Key takeaway:** Aster retired its fixed monthly ASTER unlocks in favor of staking-only emissions, dropping new supply by roughly 97%, from about 78 million ASTER per month to roughly 1.8 to 2.25 million per month. New tokens now enter circulation only as staking rewards, which lowers the mechanical sell pressure that scheduled unlocks used to create every month. This is a change to token emissions, not a price prediction. ## What Actually Changed For most of ASTER's life, a chunk of new supply appeared on a fixed linear schedule. Every month a set number of tokens vested and entered circulation whether or not anyone was trading, staking, or paying attention. That is the standard model across most tokens, and it is also the standard reason supply-side sell pressure feels relentless: the calendar does not care about market conditions. The change flips the source of new supply. Instead of a scheduled unlock, **new ASTER is emitted as staking rewards.** Tokens enter circulation when they are paid out to people who lock ASTER, and at a much smaller weekly rate. Aster framed the decision as a response to community feedback about token dilution, and describes the combination with the existing buyback program as moving the token toward a deflationary path. ## The Numbers, Stated Plainly Here is the part worth citing, with figures to verify against [Aster's docs](https://docs.asterdex.com) before you rely on them: > Under the old schedule, roughly **78 million ASTER** entered circulation each month through fixed linear vesting, about **1% of the 8 billion total supply** every month. Under the new staking-based model, emissions are set at about **450,000 ASTER per weekly epoch**, or roughly **1.8 to 2.25 million ASTER per month**. That is a reduction of about **97%** in new monthly supply. | | Old model | New (staking-based) model | |---|---|---| | Source of new supply | Fixed linear vesting | Staking rewards only | | Approximate monthly supply | ~78 million ASTER | ~1.8–2.25 million ASTER | | Weekly rate | Scheduled unlock | ~450,000 ASTER per epoch | | Who receives it | Scheduled recipients | veASTER stakers | | Reduction | n/a | ~97% lower | The old figure represented about 1% of the capped 8 billion supply hitting the market monthly. Trimming that by 97% removes a large, predictable stream of tokens that used to arrive on a timer. > **Warning:** Every figure here is a snapshot. Aster ships tokenomics changes quickly and rolls them out by epoch, so per-epoch emission rates and activation dates can move. Treat these numbers as context, confirm them on [docs.asterdex.com](https://docs.asterdex.com), and remember that nothing in this article is financial advice. ## How the Staking Switch Works The mechanics are straightforward once you separate "who creates new tokens" from "who receives them." - **Emissions come from staking, not a clock.** New ASTER is minted as rewards for locking the token, on a weekly epoch cadence, rather than released on a fixed vesting calendar. - **You have to lock to receive them.** Newly emitted tokens go to stakers who lock ASTER as **veASTER** (vote-escrowed ASTER). Holders who do not lock receive no emissions. - **The payout is tiered.** Aster's docs describe a dual-reward structure, a base tier plus a loyalty tier, that scales with how long you lock and how actively you trade. Longer locks and more trading volume earn a larger slice of each epoch's emissions. The practical effect is that supply that used to arrive on a calendar now arrives as a staking reward. Supply still grows, but far more slowly, and the new supply goes to lockers. For the full veASTER lock weighting and epoch timing, see [what is the ASTER token](https://asterpedia.com/ecosystem/what-is-the-aster-token). ## The Supply Math The reason a 97% emission cut matters is mechanical, not speculative. Scheduled unlocks add tokens on a timer regardless of demand, and how much of any unlock gets sold varies. Cutting the monthly figure from about 78 million to under 2.25 million removes roughly 76 million tokens of new monthly supply. That does not mean the price goes up. It means one specific, predictable source of new supply shrank by a large factor. Whether that translates into anything depends on demand, trading volume, and broader market conditions, which an emission schedule does not determine. What the schedule *can* do is stop adding supply every month. > **Info:** A slower emission rate lowers structural sell pressure; it does not create buying pressure. Those are different things. The unlock change removes a headwind. Whether ASTER also gets a tailwind depends on demand and volume, which this mechanism does not address. ## Where This Sits Next to the Buyback and Burn The emission cut is one of two supply levers Aster pulled in 2026, and they are easy to confuse. Keeping them straight is the whole point: - **The emission cut** (this article) reduces how many *new* tokens are created each month, from ~78 million to under ~2.25 million. - **The [buyback and burn](https://asterpedia.com/ecosystem/aster-fee-buyback-burn-tokenomics)** reduces how many *existing* tokens remain, by using platform fees to buy ASTER and destroying an equal amount on a schedule. One slows the faucet; the other drains the tub. Run both at once and the effective float shrinks from two directions, which is why Aster describes the combination as pushing the token toward deflationary territory. If you only read one of the two, you get half the supply picture. ## What It Means for Holders vs Traders Stripping out the mechanics, here is the practical read: ### If you hold ASTER The emission cut reduces dilution, and it also changes the incentive. Because new tokens go to stakers, holding ASTER in a wallet does not capture a share of emissions. Exposure to newly emitted supply requires locking for veASTER. Holding still benefits from the lower dilution overall; it just does not receive the smaller stream. ### If you trade on Aster The change does not affect how you trade, but it does reinforce why fees and volume matter to the token: emissions reward stakers, and the separate buyback is funded by the [fees you pay](https://asterpedia.com/guides/fees/aster-fees-explained). You can trim your own costs. Paying fees in ASTER carries a documented 5% discount at the point of trade, and signing up under a referral code gets you a rebate: per Aster's referral terms this site's code MMTz04 is set to a 5/5 split, so 5% of the fees you pay is credited back daily. If you are new, start with [how to trade on Aster](https://asterpedia.com/guides/getting-started/how-to-trade-on-aster), or check the live [ASTER market](https://asterpedia.com/markets/aster) for current price and funding. ### If you stake as veASTER You are the direct beneficiary of the new model. Emissions that used to leak onto a vesting calendar now flow to lockers, on top of the buyback rewards. The trade-off is the same as it always was: locking is a real commitment to liquidity, and you should size it against your own needs rather than a headline reward rate. For the mechanics of locking, epochs, and weight, see [how Aster staking works](https://asterpedia.com/ecosystem/aster-staking-explained). ## The Change at a Glance - **What:** Fixed monthly ASTER unlocks replaced with staking-only emissions. - **Old rate:** ~78 million ASTER per month via fixed linear vesting (~1% of 8B supply monthly). - **New rate:** ~450,000 ASTER per weekly epoch (~1.8–2.25 million per month). - **Reduction:** ~97% less new monthly supply. - **Who receives new supply:** veASTER stakers only. - **Reason Aster gave:** community feedback on dilution; Aster pairs it with buyback-and-burn and describes the combination as a deflationary path. - **Separate from:** The [buyback-and-burn](https://asterpedia.com/ecosystem/aster-fee-buyback-burn-tokenomics), which removes existing supply. - **Supply cap:** 8 billion genesis, 3 billion long-term floor. The summary is that Aster removed one of the more mechanical sources of sell pressure a young token can carry. Fewer scheduled unlocks means fewer tokens arriving on a timer, and routing what remains to stakers ties new supply to participation rather than a calendar. It does not set the price, since demand and volume do that, but it does stop the emission schedule from adding supply every month. --- *Sources for the figures above: [Aster docs, tokenomics](https://docs.asterdex.com/usdaster-token/tokenomics), [CoinMarketCap Academy](https://coinmarketcap.com/academy/article/aster-dex-slashes-monthly-token-unlocks-by-97percent-with-staking-switch), and [The Block](https://www.theblock.co/post/395724/aster-perps-dex-staking-token-emissions-changpeng-zhao), cited under fair use for educational purposes. Aster ships changes quickly; verify current figures in the official docs before acting.* ## Frequently asked questions ### How much did Aster cut its monthly token unlocks? About 97%, per Aster's own figures and reporting at the time. Aster retired a fixed schedule that released roughly 78 million ASTER per month and replaced it with staking-only emissions of about 450,000 ASTER per weekly epoch, which works out to roughly 1.8 to 2.25 million per month. That is the arithmetic behind the 97% headline. ### When does the staking switch take effect? Aster announced the staking-only emission switch on March 30, 2026. Because Aster ships changes quickly and rolls them out by epoch, confirm the exact activation date and current per-epoch figures on the official docs at docs.asterdex.com before relying on them. ### Does the change affect ASTER I already hold or stake? The switch changes how new tokens enter circulation, not the tokens already in your wallet. Under the new model, fresh supply is emitted as staking rewards, so locking ASTER as veASTER is how you receive newly emitted tokens. Holding without locking does not earn emissions. This describes the mechanism and is not advice on what to do with your tokens. ### Where can I verify the ASTER unlock schedule? The authoritative source is Aster's own tokenomics documentation at docs.asterdex.com. For live circulating and total supply figures, cross-check a tracker such as CoinGecko or CoinMarketCap, since those numbers change daily as emissions and buyback-and-burn move the float. ### Is reducing emissions the same as burning tokens? No. Cutting emissions reduces how many new tokens are created each month. Burning destroys existing tokens that are already in supply. Aster does both: the 97% emission cut slows new supply, while a separate buyback-and-burn program removes existing supply. Together they shrink the effective float from two directions.