Aster DEX Makes USD1 Sole Settlement for Commodity Perps

Steady attention without excessive speculation.

World Liberty Financial confirmed the exclusivity in its own post on X. Every TradFi perp on Aster DEX will settle in USD1, not alongside USDT. The project made that point clear: “Not alongside USDT. Exclusively.”

The four initial markets are $XAUUSD1 (gold), $XAGUSD1 (silver), $CLUSD1 and $BZUSD1 (crude oil). Both teams plan to add more RWA markets as the partnership grows.

Why USD1 Exclusivity Matters

Most perp DEXs settle trades in USDT, USDC, or a mix of stablecoins. Aster chose a different path by locking in a single settlement asset for its commodity products. As a result, traders avoid conversion friction and operate within a closed-loop economy around USD1.

For World Liberty Financial, the deal delivers immediate utility. According to recent reports, USD1 holds approximately $4.4 billion in circulation. That makes it the sixth-largest stablecoin by market cap. So, gaining exclusive settlement on a platform with over $2 billion in daily perp volume could meaningfully boost on-chain demand for USD1.

Aster also set lower fees specifically for USD1 pairs. Takers pay just 1 basis point (0.01%), while makers collect a -0.5 basis point rebate. Consequently, that fee structure rewards liquidity providers and could draw institutional capital into these new commodity markets.

The exclusivity play also signals a broader trend in DeFi. Rather than supporting every major stablecoin, some protocols now bet that deep alignment with one issuer drives stronger liquidity and ecosystem cohesion. Aster and WLFI appear to share that thesis.

What Is Aster DEX

Aster DEX started as APX Finance on BNB Chain. The project rebranded and migrated to Aster Chain, its own custom Layer 1, in March 2026. Aster shared the partnership announcement through a quoted post on X.

The team designed Aster Chain specifically for perpetual futures trading. The chain delivers 50-millisecond block times, zero gas fees, and default privacy through zero-knowledge proofs and stealth addresses. According to the project, it can handle up to 100,000 transactions per second.

Aster competes directly with Hyperliquid and GMX in the perp DEX space. YZi Labs, formerly Binance Labs, backs the project. The platform often exceeds $2 billion in daily perpetual futures volume, according to its public data.

World Liberty Financial and the USD1 Stablecoin

World Liberty Financial is a DeFi project with ties to the Trump family. The team launched USD1 in 2025 as a regulated stablecoin designed for institutional and real-world use cases.

Since launch, USD1 has grown rapidly. It now holds roughly $4.4 billion in circulation, according to recent market data. The stablecoin targets the same segment as USDT and USDC but focuses specifically on RWA integration and institutional adoption.

The partnership deepens an existing relationship between the two projects. Aster previously began supporting USD1-denominated markets, and WLFI explored deeper token integration. This latest deal formalizes USD1 as the base layer for all commodity perps on the platform.

Donald Trump Jr. reacted to the news by calling it a “winning” development for the WLFI ecosystem. That endorsement underscores the political and narrative dimension behind USD1’s expansion into DeFi infrastructure.

How Aster DEX USD1 Perpetual Futures Work

Traders on Aster can open positions in $XAUUSD1 (gold), $XAGUSD1 (silver), $CLUSD1 and $BZUSD1 (crude oil). The platform calculates all profit and loss directly in USD1. No additional bridging or wrapping is needed within these markets.

The markets run on Aster Chain’s high-speed execution layer. Trades benefit from the chain’s 50-millisecond finality and privacy features, giving traders on-chain efficiency without traditional settlement delays.

Both teams also explore broader token integration between $ASTER and $WLFI. That could include cross-utility in governance, staking, or rewards, though neither project has confirmed specifics yet.

What Comes Next for Aster DEX and USD1

The first Aster DEX USD1 perpetual futures markets should go live in the coming days. Aster plans to expand beyond the four initial commodity contracts based on demand, with more RWA products on the roadmap.

WLFI described this partnership as “step two” following functional parity. That language suggests further integrations and product expansions remain in development. Meanwhile, the Aster team plans to announce participant programs and incentives tied to these new markets.

Traders and liquidity providers on Aster now have a clear reason to hold and use USD1. The broader DeFi community will watch for measurable volume increases on these new pairs and any shift in USD1’s overall market position.

This is not financial advice. Always do your own research before trading perpetual futures or holding any stablecoin.