Key Takeaways
Aptos is a next-generation Layer-1 blockchain designed for scalability, security, and upgradeability.
Utilizing the Move programming language, Aptos provides low latency and high throughput, empowering developers to build next-generation decentralized applications.
With a robust ecosystem, Aptos aims to revolutionize the blockchain space by making Web3 technology accessible to all.
Introduction
Founded in 2022, Aptos is rapidly becoming a favorite among blockchain developers. With its next-generation technology and robust, global community of builders, Aptos is setting new standards in the Web3 space. This article explores why builders and enterprises are flocking to Aptos and what features make it ideal for bringing innovative use cases to life.
What Is Aptos?
Aptos is a Layer-1 blockchain founded by the original creators of the Diem blockchain. The name "Aptos" means "the people," reflecting its mission to provide fair access to decentralization. Aptos aims to be a safe, scalable, and upgradable blockchain network, enabling developers to create advanced applications without worrying about scalability, security, or upgradeability.
The Aptos technology stack was researched, designed and developed by a 30-person team of researchers and engineers with domain expertise and PhDs in consensus, cryptography, distributed systems, formal verification, security, and more. The Aptos codebase has grown substantially since 2019 with more than 90 Aptos Improvement Proposals (AIPs) contributions from developers and members of the global Aptos community. It was battle-tested in a production environment through several different use cases in a private mainnet with zero downtime. The codebase is open source and community-governed with a long-term goal to build infrastructure that can be used for many networks.
How Does Aptos Work?
Aptos is a Layer-1 blockchain that uses a unique consensus mechanism called the Byzantine Fault Tolerant (BFT) consensus protocol for efficiency. This protocol ensures high throughput and low latency, making Aptos one of the fastest blockchains available with a peak throughput of 30,000 transactions per second (TPS) with 99.99% uptime to ensure fast and reliable transactions.
Aptos is also the first blockchain to use the Move programming language, specifically designed with secure and efficient blockchain development in mind. With Move, developers can build future-proof decentralized applications on Aptos without having to worry about scalability, security, and upgradeability. Further, the use of Move on Aptos means gas fees are up to 100 times lower than traditional Layer-1 blockchains.
What Makes Aptos Unique?
In addition to its native use of the Move programming language, Aptos boasts unique features and advantages for the builders and enterprises who adopt it.
Upgradeability: Aptos is designed to evolve, with regular updates and improvements to enhance performance and user safeguards.
Block-STM: Developed by Aptos Labs, this parallel execution engine allows faster transaction processing without limiting developer capabilities.
On-chain Governance and Decentralization: Aptos supports seamless network and VM configuration changes, ensuring enhanced decentralization.
Enhanced Safeguards for Consumer Confidence: Features like key rotation, crypto-agility, and hybrid custody models enhance security and user trust.
Modular Architecture for a Future-Ready Network: Aptos supports frequent upgrades, ensuring the blockchain can quickly adopt new technologies.
Proposal-Based Reward System: This system promotes decentralization by rewarding nodes based on proposal performance rather than voting proximity.
Critical problems solved
Aptos addresses several critical issues in the blockchain space, including scalability, security, and upgradeability. By leveraging its unique features and innovative technology, Aptos aims to overcome the limitations of existing blockchain networks by providing a robust foundation for decentralized applications.
The Aptos ecosystem
Aptos has cultivated a thriving ecosystem with over 7 million active wallets, 2.6 million monthly active users, and 300 projects within two years of its mainnet launch. Notable use cases supported in the Aptos ecosystem include:
DeFi: Aptos supports various DeFi protocols that leverage the network’s high throughput and sub-second latency to pave the way for the next era of open finance.
Gaming: Aptos’ technical excellence, stability and low gas fees make it ideal for building the next generation of on-chain, Web3 gaming experiences.
AI: Emerging use cases such as AI and DePIN are being developed on the Aptos platform.
NFTs: As the home of NFT tools and marketplaces to some of today’s most successful NFT collections, Aptos is an ideal blockchain for developing and managing NFTs.
Enterprise: Major corporations like Microsoft, NBCUniversal, Lotte Group, and SK Telecom are building on Aptos to unlock new use cases and bring millions of new users into Web3.
The Future of Finance on Aptos
Aptos is unlocking global financial participation with sub-second latency, 99.99% uptime and up to 100 times lower gas fees than comparable Layer-1s. Aptos is one of the fastest transaction speed Layer-1 blockchains, which was achieved without increasing gas fees. Aptos' technological advancements directly impacts the future of global financial inclusion, paving the way for the future of open finance.
TradFi is coming to Aptos
Aptos is working with major TradFi (traditional finance) partners to bring open finance and greater financial accessibility to life. The Aptos blockchain is fast, scalable, and secure—meeting TradFi players’ needs and supporting the transaction and scaling requirements of institutional money markets. What’s more, Aptos’ reliance on Move makes the blockchain a flagship destination for the tokenization of Real-World Assets (RWAs).
Aptos Labs participated in Securitize’s $47 million funding round—underscoring its commitment to the transformative power of blockchain for the tokenization of RWAs. Together, Aptos Labs and Securitize are advancing financial solutions on the Aptos blockchain that enhance accessibility and across global markets.
Aptos is collaborating with larger TradFi players like Franklin Templeton and Blackrock, who are entering the crypto market and require a secure foundation to bring hundreds of billions of capital on-chain. Franklin Templeton CEO Jenny Johnson has endorsed Aptos' tech stack, highlighting its impact on financial service efficiencies.
Aptos Ascend
Aptos Ascend is an institution-ready, end-to-end financial suite leveraging Microsoft Azure, BCG’s network, Brevan Howard’s investment expertise, and SKT's regulatory-compliant Web3 technology to expand decentralized finance to institutional capital. Aptos Ascend promotes scalability, compliance, and customizability, positioning it as the solution for TradFi entities.
Ondo Finance integration
Ondo Finance integrates tokenized treasuries onto Aptos, combining TradFi reliability with blockchain efficiency to bring real-world assets across the Aptos DeFi ecosystem. Ondo’s tokenized US Treasuries project, USDY, recently launched on Aptos, with the integration including a Thala Labs collaboration that brings USDY to Thala’s AMM pools. The integration of Ondo onto Aptos Labs brings Web2 grade institutional expertise (e.g., Goldman Sachs via Ondo) with Web3 levels of decentralization.
Tether to launch USDT on Aptos Network
Tether will soon launch the world’s leading stablecoin, USDT, on Aptos. This integration is part of Tether’s broader strategy to make digital currency more accessible and useful globally, capitalizing on Aptos' advanced blockchain technology and exceptional speed and scalability. As the largest stablecoin by market cap and one of the most widely used in the decentralized finance sector, USDT marks the first stablecoin in the Move ecosystem. By integrating USDT on the Aptos network, Tether extends its stablecoin's reach, enabling broader access to digital finance, particularly in emerging markets, and supporting global financial inclusion.
What’s Next for Aptos?
Aptos has an ambitious roadmap, focusing on continuous improvement and expansion. Key milestones include enhancing its technology stack, increasing network adoption, and fostering new use cases. Aptos aims to remain at the forefront of blockchain innovation, ensuring its platform remains scalable, secure and user-friendly.
Closing Thoughts
Aptos offers a scalable, secure and upgradable platform for developers. With its unique features and robust ecosystem, Aptos is well-positioned to drive the next wave of blockchain adoption and open finance. As it continues to evolve, Aptos promises to bring the benefits of Web3 to the world’s 5 billion internet users.