If you've been kicking yourself for missing out on $ASTER's explosive run, you're not alone. But here's some good news: there's a second chance staring right at us with $ORDER from Orderly Network. A recent tweet from crypto researcher @mikroweller highlights just how overlooked this perp DEX is right now, and the numbers are hard to ignore.

For those new to the term, a perp DEX is a decentralized exchange that specializes in perpetual futures trading—think endless contracts without expiration dates, allowing traders to bet on crypto prices with leverage. It's a hot corner of DeFi (decentralized finance) where liquidity and volume drive everything.

Orderly Network, backed by heavy hitters like Pantera Capital and Sequoia, has been quietly building for two years. Powered by LayerZero for seamless cross-chain ops, it's positioning itself as the go-to exchange layer for crypto. Unlike $ASTER, which got a massive boost from associations with big names like CZ (Changpeng Zhao, Binance's founder), Orderly is all about the product—and it's showing in the stats.

Take a look at this side-by-side comparison:

Breaking it down:

• Perp Volume (Weekly)​: Orderly clocks in at around $4B, while $ASTER hits $8.4B. That's only about half, but not a huge gap considering the maturity difference.
• TVL (Total Value Locked)​: This measures the total assets staked or deposited in the protocol. Orderly sits at $53M across all chains, versus $ASTER's $408M—an 8x difference.
• Market Cap (Circulating)​: Here's the kicker. Orderly's at $79M, but $ASTER? A whopping $2.6B. That means Orderly's market cap is over 32x smaller despite metrics that aren't that far off.

Doing the math, if we adjust for fair value based on volume or TVL, $ORDER could easily see a 4x to 16x pump from current levels. That translates to prices between $1.10 and $4.30, assuming it catches up. And with multi-chain support, including BSC (Binance Smart Chain), it's primed to capture more liquidity flows.

@mikroweller points out that $ASTER was an obvious play in hindsight, largely due to hype. But Orderly's value comes from real building—over 50 DEXs already rely on its orderbooks, and its staking APR (annual percentage rate) of 80% comes from actual protocol fees, not just inflation. This ends in June 2025, potentially creating a supply shock as rewards taper off.

Don't sleep on this one. If you're into DeFi or hunting undervalued gems, dive into Orderly Network's official site or check the full tweet here for more insights. As always, this isn't financial advice—do your own research and stay safe out there.

What do you think—how high could $ORDER go? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!