Aster Launches Machi Mode Rewarding Liquidations as Hyperliquid Cuts Fees with Growth Mode

Aster has announced the launch of "Machi mode," a new feature set to go live next week that rewards traders with points whenever their positions are liquidated. The exchange dedicated this update to Machi Big Brother (Jeffrey Huang), a Taiwanese-American investor known for his high-risk trading strategies and frequent liquidations. According to data from Lookonchain, Machi Big Brother leads the liquidation rankings with 71 recorded losses since early November, far ahead of James Wynn (26 liquidations) and Andrew Tate (19 liquidations).

Simultaneously, Hyperliquid rolled out its HIP-3 "growth mode" on Wednesday, enabling permissionless deployment of new markets and sharply reduced taker fees. Fees for new markets drop from 0.045% to as low as 0.0045%, with potential reductions to 0.00144% at higher staking and volume tiers. This mode requires new markets to be distinct from validator-run perpetuals to avoid parasitic volume and remains locked for 30 days after activation to ensure stability.

The updates reflect a growing trend in crypto trading culture, where high-risk behaviors and liquidation events are embraced as community bonding experiences. Aster's announcement on X sparked humorous reactions, with users celebrating the feature's alignment with degen culture, while Hyperliquid's fee cuts aim to lower barriers for traders and developers.