The Aster ETF Hoax That Fooled Even Top Crypto Influencers

A fabricated regulatory filing claiming BlackRock planned a “Staked ASTER ETF” circulated widely on Tuesday, briefly pulling ASTER into the market spotlight despite the token already trading in a familiar support area near $0.90 to $0.95.

According to TradingView data, ASTER has hovered in this price corridor for nearly three weeks, the same zone that halted declines twice in October and again in early November.

The timing of the rumor added to trader confusion, especially as the token has been sliding since its mid-November bounce near $1.40.

The fake screenshot looked polished enough to spread quickly on social platforms, where any mention of BlackRock and ETFs tends to spark fast market reactions.

Speculation intensified because BlackRock has been exploring staking-related products in the Ethereum ecosystem, prompting some traders to wonder whether ASTER could benefit from similar attention.

That enthusiasm faded once Binance founder Changpeng Zhao intervened, writing, “Fake. Even big KOLs get fooled once in a while,” and noting that ASTER “does not need edited images to grow.”

After Zhao’s clarification, market focus shifted back to technicals.

ASTER remains locked in the same narrow trading band it has occupied for nearly two months, with no new catalysts visible.