PANews reported on December 4th that decentralized exchange Aster released its roadmap for the first half of 2026, focusing on strengthening three core engines: infrastructure, token utility, and ecosystem and community. In early December 2025, Aster will launch "Shield Mode" for private high-leverage trading and Time-Weighted Average Price (TWAP) strategy orders; in mid-December, it will upgrade Real-World Assets (RWA) to expand the depth and breadth of the perpetual stock contract market; and at the end of December, the Aster Chain testnet will be open for community testing. Entering 2026, the first quarter will see the launch of the Aster Chain mainnet, the release of Aster code for developers, and the opening of fiat currency deposit and withdrawal channels; the second quarter will see the implementation of ASTER token staking, on-chain governance, and the launch of smart money tools that allow users to follow top traders.