Updated 2026-09-19
Aster has the deeper book, more chains, and more markets. Bulk has the earlier farming position — no token, live points, and a Genesis fee window that's closing.
| Aster | Bulk Exchange | |
|---|---|---|
| Chain | Multi-chain (BNB, ETH, Arbitrum, Solana) | Solana |
| Maker Fee | 0.005% | 0% |
| Taker Fee | 0.04% | 0.035% |
| Max Leverage | up to 1001x | up to 20x |
| Token | ASTER | — |
| Airdrop Status | Stage 5 (token live) | AURA points (pre-token) |
Aster is one of the two highest-volume perpetuals venues tracked across any chain; Bulk Exchange is a newer, invite-gated Solana perps DEX still building out its book. The gap in scale is real and large — this comparison is less about which is the “better” platform and more about which stage of the token lifecycle each one is in.
Aster’s multichain deployment (BNB Chain, Ethereum, Arbitrum, Solana) plus TradFi-style markets (stocks, FX, gold) and hidden orders gives it real depth and variety most single-chain venues can’t match. Bulk’s book is thinner by comparison — real activity, but concentrated in majors during its Genesis phase, with far less market variety.
ASTER is a live, traded token, and Aster’s stage-based points claims have largely already paid out — there’s no fresh pre-token opportunity here anymore. Bulk has no token, a live AURA points program tied to its recent mainnet launch, and a 0% maker-fee Genesis window that’s explicitly temporary. If you’re specifically evaluating “which of these is still early,” Bulk is the only one of the two currently in that position.
Aster’s fees run slightly lower on both sides of the book, and its advertised leverage ceiling (up to 1001x on specific pairs) is an extreme outlier — treat it as a marketing number, not a practical trading parameter. Bulk’s 20x ceiling is far more conservative, which cuts both ways: less catastrophic-liquidation risk, but also less flexibility for traders who specifically want higher leverage.
Read the full Aster review and Bulk Exchange review before deciding. See our pre-TGE farming roundup for where Bulk ranks among every other open points program we’re tracking.
Frequently asked
ASTER's token is already live and its stage-based claim windows have largely run their course — Aster is no longer a pre-token farming opportunity the way Bulk currently is. Its ongoing value now is as a trading venue (multichain reach, TradFi markets, hidden orders), not a farm.
Not for liquidity — Aster's book is far deeper. The reason to pick Bulk specifically is timing: no token yet, a live points program, and a Genesis fee window that won't last. Some traders reasonably use both — Aster to trade, Bulk to farm.