RE: LeoThread 2025-10-30 20-17

Aster is executing a potent buyback + airdrop model—using fees to repurchase $ASTER and redistribute tokens to active traders. It’s more than rewards; it accelerates decentralization ahead of the planned L1 launch

Breakdown:

1/ Airdrop Stages:

• Stage 1: 8% allocation (completed—bootstrapped rapid growth)
• Stage 2: 4% total, tapering to ~1% weekly (wrapped up Oct 5, 2025)
• Stage 3: 2.5% starting, declining to 0.5% weekly (ongoing; airdrops follow buybacks)

Airdrop percentages fall each stage to limit inflation, while buybacks are scaling exponentially week-over-week—now using ~70–80% of fees for daily on-chain repurchases.

Surging trading volumes (e.g., $24.7B in a day in September) drive this effect

Net result: airdrops begin inflationary but become deflationary faster than expected as buybacks outpace emissions

That creates a recycling loop: repurchased tokens re-enter later airdrops, rewarding loyalty and attracting new traders

nice

i so much love the idea of things being decentralized