How Lighter and Aster differ on chain, volume, fees and model.
| Lighter | Aster | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | zk perp DEX | Perp DEX (multi-mode) |
| Chain | zk rollup | Multichain (BNB, ETH…) |
| How it works | A zero-knowledge-proven order-book DEX that charges retail zero trading fees, earning revenue from its liquidity pool plus mandatory 1:10 LIT staking. ~248k active addresses, TVL ~$1B. | A perp DEX with both a simple mode and a pro order-book mode, multichain, growing rapidly to challenge Hyperliquid on weekly volume (TVL ~$1.2B). |
| Scale* | ~$25B/wk · zero-fee | ~$30B/wk |
| Max leverage | high | high |
| Best for | Fee-free retail perps | High-volume trading + airdrop upside |
Pick Lighter for fee-free retail perps; pick Aster for high-volume trading + airdrop upside.
* Volume/TVL = dated snapshot (DefiLlama + venue reports, 2026).