Entering the new cycle of competition among new public chains, Aptos's differentiated ecological layout and future growth strategy under the core vision of "global trading engine."

Written by: Deep Tide TechFlow

This year's Korea Blockchain Week was bustling, and Aptos became one of the most prominent projects:

On one hand, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced that Aptos Labs CEO Avery Ching has become a member of the Digital Asset Market Advisory Committee, marking Aptos's significant voice in the U.S. crypto regulatory landscape on behalf of the entire industry;

On the other hand, Aptos made significant progress in the Korean market: the two major exchanges in Korea, Bithumb and Upbit, support Aptos USDT deposits and withdrawals, and one of Korea's five major conglomerates, Lotte, announced that its subsidiary plans to expand the application landscape of the Aptos blockchain.

Amidst a series of heavyweight news, we engaged in an in-depth dialogue with Ash Pampati, Senior Vice President of the Aptos Foundation, at the Korea Blockchain Week.

Focus was the most profound impression left by this dialogue.

When discussing the current focus of Aptos's ecological efforts, Ash stated without hesitation:

Aptos's long-term strategic core is DeFi, and our ultimate goal is to build a global trading engine. Unlike other public chains that specialize in a single area, Aptos can simultaneously manage DeFi, stablecoins, payments, and decentralized storage. We are building a fertile ground for innovation to thrive through solid blockchain infrastructure.

When talking about the three development focuses for Aptos in the coming year, Ash's response further embodies Aptos's spirit of focus:

For me, the most core thing is just one: to become the TOP 1 public chain in terms of application revenue. The core of a successful ecosystem lies in enabling different types of businesses and founders to generate revenue, maintain operations, and grow into unicorns. We will provide comprehensive help and support around this core.

In this issue, let us follow Ash Pampati's sharing to delve into Aptos's differentiated ecological layout under the new cycle of competition among new public chains, as well as its future growth strategy under the core vision of "global trading engine."

Four Ecological Dimensions to Attract Billions of Users On-Chain

Deep Tide TechFlow: I am glad to have the opportunity to have an in-depth conversation with you. Some Chinese-speaking users may not be very familiar with your background, so first, welcome you to introduce yourself and share some past experiences and your main responsibilities at Aptos.

Ash:

Hello everyone, I am Ash Pampati, currently serving as the Senior Vice President of the Aptos Foundation.

My responsibilities mainly focus on supporting the development of the Aptos ecosystem, ensuring that two key things are achieved: First, excellent projects not only survive on the Aptos network but also thrive; second, investors and the community can have a good experience in this process.

My core task is to ensure that these elements work perfectly together to build a balanced and vibrant ecosystem.

Deep Tide TechFlow: Looking back over the past year, what major changes has Aptos experienced? Can you share some important milestones?

Ash:

Of course, Aptos originated from Meta's Libra (later Diem) project, with the core idea of supporting applications with billions of users to build more efficient funding transfer channels in a permissionless manner, whether it’s Instagram, WhatsApp, or other global platforms. This idea and technology remain at the core of Aptos today.

Over the past year, we have focused on two key areas: On one hand, promoting on-chain economic growth and strengthening enterprises' interest in blockchain. Thanks to the foundation built at Meta, we have established deep trust with many enterprises and financial institutions, which has made it smoother for us to connect and deepen partnerships after operating independently; On the other hand, we are always committed to ensuring the prosperous development of the on-chain economy.

Specifically, we have made several core advancements:

First, the native trading activity on Aptos's decentralized exchange continues to grow, and our daily trading volume has exceeded $150 million, ranking in the top 10 of blockchain.

Second, the trading and circulation scale of Aptos's stablecoins continues to grow. In just the month of July, our stablecoin trading volume was about $60 billion, even though we are still a relatively young public chain in terms of stablecoin integration.

Another metric I care about is whether the applications built on Aptos have truly generated revenue and formed sustainable business models. Excitingly, in the past month, we have also entered the top 10 across the chain in terms of "application revenue."

Deep Tide TechFlow: You mentioned some applications that have successfully built and generated revenue on Aptos. Can you describe the current state of the Aptos ecosystem? Are there any particularly noteworthy projects you can share?

Ash:

The current Aptos ecosystem is like a sleeping giant awakening. We adhere to a unique philosophy: We believe the next unicorn will emerge from Web3 native founders. While the attention of institutions and enterprises is important, we need people who live and work in the Web3 industry every day to help guide development, which is also one of our core criteria when selecting ecosystem projects.

Specifically, the Aptos ecosystem unfolds around four important dimensions:

• DeFi

We view DeFi as the cornerstone of the global trading engine. By introducing native DEX, Aptos is concentrating liquidity and making significant breakthroughs in trading platform construction. For example, Hyperion, which was incubated in February in collaboration with our official Chinese community organization Movemaker, became the top DEX in the Aptos ecosystem in June, and the project completed its TGE in July, which is the ecological growth paradigm we expect.

• Money Market and Lending

We partnered with Aave to deploy its first non-EVM chain version, reflecting institutional trust in Aptos, especially in conjunction with enterprise-level technologies like Chainlink. Such collaborations lay the foundation for institutional funds to go on-chain. At the same time, we are seeing significant growth in products like XBTC and BTC Fi, which allow Bitcoin to play a larger role in DeFi, particularly in the Asian market.

• Innovative Project Layout

We are very optimistic about the native exchange Decibel incubated by Aptos Labs. The high-performance blockchain built by Aptos is crucial for bringing billions of users on-chain, whether it’s crypto assets, traditional assets, or innovations like streaming and AI that have yet to enter the Web3 space; trading is the core link, and we are building a global trading engine to support these innovations.

The decentralized storage project Shelby, co-developed with Jump Crypto, is also critical: it may sound a bit dull, but we firmly believe there are better solutions for cloud storage. Shelby offers a no-compromise experience at a lower cost than Web2 services like GCP/AWS/Azure, while also reshaping the value exchange between creators and users through a Web3 incentive model.

• Breaking Data Bottlenecks

Data has always been a core obstacle for Web3 to go mainstream. Shelby addresses this pain point with disruptive storage solutions, clearing the way for billion-user applications.

When I look at the Aptos ecosystem, I can confidently say it is like a sleeping giant. We are at the beginning of a grander era, and the innovations we are undertaking will fuel the next phase of Web3 development.

CEO Becoming a Member of U.S. Crypto Regulation is a Milestone for the Entire Industry

Deep Tide TechFlow: Recently, DAT has been very popular, and many public chain tokens are announcing related actions. Does Aptos have any related plans?

Ash:

Of course, we have clear plans in this regard, and there is much to look forward to.

What I can share is that the DAT we are promoting will be unique. While many projects have taken a follow-the-leader or copycat approach to DAT, we are focused on creating a DAT that is deeply aligned with Aptos and truly differentiated.

This is important because we recognize that there is a large class of investors, particularly equity investors, who have not yet participated in crypto tokens. Through our DAT program, these investors will be able to share in the growth dividends brought by blockchain innovation.

Our goals are very ambitious; we are building with the vision of bringing a billion users on-chain. Through collaborations with projects like Decibel and Shelby, as well as the startups we are incubating, Aptos is preparing for mass adoption. The DAT program is a key part of this blueprint, providing broader accessibility for groundbreaking innovations in blockchain while opening new opportunities for investors and users.

Deep Tide TechFlow: Recently, Aptos Labs CEO Avery spoke at the U.S. Congress and was appointed as a member of the GMAC Digital Asset Market Advisory Committee under the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). What do you think this means for Aptos? What kind of impact will it have?

Ash:

I believe this is not only significant for Aptos but also a milestone for the entire blockchain industry.

Avery's involvement is crucial for the entire industry. His direct engagement with Congress provides valuable guidance on how blockchain can thrive in the U.S. regulatory environment. His appointment as a member of the GMAC committee under the CFTC will further help ensure that blockchain has a clear and solid development path. I believe Avery possesses unique qualifications to fulfill this role with extraordinary dedication.

Avery is an engineer who focuses on solving technical challenges in an elegant and precise manner, with a vision of enabling the global economy to operate on blockchain infrastructure. This focus drives us to continuously improve; even though Aptos is already one of the fastest blockchains, we are always committed to making it even better.

Ultimately, Avery's appointment is not only a victory for Aptos but also a victory for the entire cryptocurrency sector in the U.S. This will help promote discussions around blockchain technology and its role in the global economy.

Deep Tide TechFlow: Since Avery became the CEO of Aptos Labs, how has his leadership impacted the company's direction? What kind of innovations or changes can we expect under his leadership?

Ash:

Avery has a unique leadership style; some people excel at taking things from 0 to 1, while others are good at scaling up. Avery is more like a leader who takes things from 1 to 100.

As CEO, Avery's philosophy is: technology should not be compromised. We believe the next wave of adoption will be driven by excellent technology, which is why we continuously refine our technology every day.

Avery is also accelerating our ecosystem development. In his first month in office, he pushed for a tenfold expansion of the ecosystem scale, and I believe he is laying the foundation for tremendous growth. He is deeply integrated into the ecosystem, working closely with entrepreneurs and builders, combining this approach with our institutional-level DNA, giving Aptos a unique advantage as we move towards the next phase of growth.

The Long-Term Strategic Core of Aptos is DeFi

**Deep Tide TechFlow: As you shared, do you think RWA, stablecoins, and Decibel will push *DeFi* to new heights and make it more popular than before?**

Ash:

I agree with this perspective.

First, regarding stablecoins, we have been highly focused on stability since our inception. Our original intention is to ensure that every dollar can circulate efficiently and securely within an application ecosystem with billions of users. We have recently integrated three major stablecoins: USDT, USDC, and USDe, and we have also connected PayPal USD through LayerZero. Although we are a relatively young public chain compared to Ethereum and Solana, we have managed to integrate so many stablecoins in a short time, and just for USDT, Aptos has now become the second-largest native deployment chain for USDT, second only to Tron.

What does this indicate? To achieve better adoption, stablecoins naturally choose the best technology stack. For us, this is not only a critical moment for Aptos but also a moment when technology should be truly recognized and appreciated in Web3. One of the most important missions right now is to bring a billion users on-chain.

**Second, I believe the inclusivity of *DeFi* is very important,** for example, enabling my father or your friends and family to participate. This inclusivity is less correlated with market conditions but is a more reliable way to bring funds into a global, permissionless economy and create value. Regardless of the weather, we believe inclusive DeFi is key to large-scale user entry.

Next is how to apply this mechanism to trading, which is precisely why Decibel is interesting. Decibel is a trading platform deployed on Aptos; it is not just about high-risk perpetual contract trading but emphasizes earning yields, using those yields as collateral, and a series of features that allow funds to flow more efficiently.

I jokingly refer to "DeFi as a bit boring" simply because we have been saying this word for ten years. We prefer to build a "global trading engine," a term that may not be as catchy but is extremely significant.

Deep Tide TechFlow: Additionally, I want to share a very practical observation: for transparency reasons, every time we withdraw stablecoins from exchanges like Bybit, we often find that the fees on the Aptos chain are usually the lowest, which is a choice for more users.

Ash:

Haha, smart users choose smart ways, and I believe more and more users will become smarter every day.

Deep Tide TechFlow: For the Chinese-speaking market, the community sometimes feels unclear about Aptos's current ecological focus. Is Aptos currently more focused on DeFi, gaming, or the currently popular RWA? Can you introduce the current development priorities?

Ash:

**The long-term strategic core of Aptos is **DeFi, and our ultimate goal is to build a global trading engine. I recently published an article outlining the products that can be built on Aptos, including structured financial products, Delta-Neutral vaults, and the path from DEX to perpetual contract trading. Among these, integrating Web3 liquidity occupies 80% of our energy, and we will strictly select teams that meet this principle and provide support.

**In addition to **DeFi, we are also focusing on the field of capital flow, which includes two main pillars: stablecoins and payment systems. For us, stablecoins are not just trading tools; they have enormous potential in the real world, such as cross-border remittances and microloans, which are precisely the shortcomings of the traditional financial system. We see this as an important component of the future and are committed to supporting this ecosystem. The payment field is a stage for Aptos to showcase its unique advantages, as we can provide superior infrastructure and payment channels.

**At the same time, we are exploring decentralized storage solutions with projects like Shelby, allowing both enterprise-level and consumer-level applications to be built on a fully *distributed* system.** In the next 6 to 12 months, we particularly look forward to seeing developers build decentralized versions of YouTube or AI machine learning models based on this.

What makes Aptos unique is its versatility: unlike other public chains that specialize in a single area, we can simultaneously manage DeFi, stablecoins, payments, and decentralized storage.

From a user experience perspective, we believe the future of Web3 products will resemble "Web 2.5," where users may not even realize they are interacting with a blockchain. The key to achieving this is to provide an experience that rivals traditional social platforms. To do this, we need an extremely fast public chain with no friction; if users encounter even a minute of delay, they will leave the application. This is why our insistence on speed, cost, and abstraction makes Aptos an ideal platform for startups.

A typical case is KGeN. This project initially started as a game distribution platform but later transformed into providing human verification services for AI models. They use the Aptos blockchain to achieve scalable expansion at a very low cost and have now become the largest non-DeFi profitable protocol in the Web3 space, with annual recurring revenue expected to exceed $40 million.

These success stories validate the unique value of the Aptos ecosystem: we are building a fertile ground for innovation to thrive through solid blockchain infrastructure.

Deep Tide TechFlow: Aptos has collaborated with OKX to incubate some new projects. Do you think this model will continue? Will Aptos further collaborate with more institutions to launch more new projects in the future?

Ash:

I believe so, and I think the key is:

If the foundation is sufficiently hands-on and clear about "where to build and around what," it can pave the way.

In the past, a major question from the outside world regarding Aptos was related to your question: What does Aptos focus on? In which directions should I build? Is what I did on Ethereum transferable to Aptos?

We will express our views very clearly, specifically:

We will clarify priority tracks and which specific use cases are worth pursuing, and we are ready to provide support and funding.

At the same time, we will advance with partners who are also highly invested in these use cases and the growth of the Aptos network, whether they are investment institutions or other types of partners.

We also provide bottom-up localized regional support, allowing builders, regardless of where they are, to have reliable local teams and mentors for assistance and access to funding channels, whether from Aptos itself or third parties. For example, our collaboration with MoveMaker, which I see as a close partner, represents us in Hong Kong and is rooted in the core ecosystem of Web3 in Hong Kong.

From this model, it is also exciting: **In addition to **Hyperion, we now have Goblin Finance, which aims to build Delta-Neutral vaults, and AllScale, which focuses on payments. These three projects were all incubated during our collaboration with MoveMaker, which started about six months ago, and they all have significant growth potential. This is a model I consider very important, and we hope to do more and bigger.

**Deep Tide TechFlow: Regarding the recently popular RWA and *AI* related fields, what specific plans does Aptos have?**

Ash:

Okay. First, regarding RWA, Aptos is currently ranked among the top three to four public chains in this field, which is quite groundbreaking for a new chain like ours and fully reflects the trust institutions have in our technology and the security of the Move language.

However, there is still a key element missing, which is the actual use of RWA in user-facing DeFi. The concept of RWA is too broad; it can refer to stocks, stablecoins, divisible real estate, or any valuable asset. Each type of asset has different uses in decentralized trading. For example, some RWAs are more suitable as collateral for loans, while others can be used for perpetual contract trading; the ways assets can be utilized are very diverse.

For us, the next focus is how to truly unlock and innovate the use of RWA in decentralized ecosystems. In terms of market trust and the TVL related to RWA, we have already passed validation. Next, we hope to lead the advancement of actual use cases for RWA.

**As for *AI*, I view it from two perspectives. First, how AI can serve as an *accelerator* to help founders build on-chain faster and smarter.** At Aptos Labs, we focus on a project called Giomi, which is a unique full-stack suite for developers, built with infrastructure, RPC, indexing, and a user interface that makes it easy to build and deploy any DApp. AI is accelerating the development pace and driving smarter applications in various fields such as DeFi and SocialFi.

**The second perspective is the way users interact with data driven by **AI. Currently, users hand over data to centralized companies, which provide aggregated responses based on that data. But I believe users will increasingly want to control the data they input into these engines. The application of blockchain in this area is just beginning, and we are actively looking for teams with clear views and innovative capabilities in this direction to promote their onboarding and provide support.

**Deep Tide TechFlow: So, Aptos is building infrastructure for **AI, which will benefit projects that want to leverage your data or build on your platform. You are also engaging with traditional institutions and companies to help them integrate AI into their systems, right?

Ash:

Yes, Aptos's advantage lies in our deep roots in Web2. We maintain close relationships with major tech hubs and financial institutions, and these connections provide us with unique advantages.

Any builders who come to us can benefit from our network, and we will actively facilitate cross-industry collaboration, introducing them to potential partners and stakeholders from traditional industries and the emerging Web3 space. Our goal is to make it easier for developers to connect the Web2 and Web3 ecosystems, thereby accelerating the progress of their projects.

The Asian community is highly literate, and Aptos places great importance on localization and integration

Deep Tide TechFlow: We are currently communicating at KBW in South Korea. What are your thoughts on the Asian market, and what differentiated layouts and strategies do you have in different regions?

Ash:

When it comes to Asia, we do not view it as a single entity. Asia is a diverse region with rich and varied cultures and sentiments, and we have a clear understanding of this. In markets like Greater China, Japan, and South Korea, a commonality is the high literacy and professionalism of their communities. I even believe that the crypto community in Asia often surpasses many Western communities in terms of knowledge depth and technical level. They do not merely follow trends; they analyze public chains, assess fundamentals, and scrutinize project teams like professional analysts. We respect this deeply and have experienced it ourselves, which is why we focus on collaborating with these communities, listening to their feedback, and quickly implementing their insights into our products and ecosystem.

In South Korea, we are very pleased to collaborate with leading institutions like Upbit and Bithumb, as demonstrated by our recent announcement regarding USDT. Such collaborations allow us to better reach local users, enabling them to directly use the "fastest dollar in the world" for transactions in their daily lives. This localized direct connection is crucial for building trust and conveying the value of Aptos in a market-relevant manner.

We place great importance on Aptos's presence and investment in Asia, and we care deeply about integrating with local culture and markets. Our strategy in South Korea is to provide support directly within the market. We want the community to know that they can reach out to members of the foundation at any time. Whether it is for collaboration discussions, technical support, or daily interactions, we commit to being accessible and responsive. Our core focus is to build trust within the local community, fostering long-term relationships that make them feel supported and understood.

Japan is currently also particularly noteworthy, thanks to its more favorable crypto regulatory changes. We believe these new policies will unleash a wealth of opportunities in Japan, not only in terms of trading but also in innovation and development. Japan's attitude towards crypto shares many similarities with Greater China and South Korea, which makes us excited about the potential for growth and innovation there. Our goal is not only to participate in the Japanese market but also to actively engage in shaping the local policy environment, just as we do in the U.S. We hope to support the evolution of Japanese regulation and help cultivate a healthy crypto ecosystem in the region.

Deep Tide TechFlow: You also announced a partnership with South Korea's Lotte Group this morning. Can you provide more details about this?

Ash:

Our partnership with Lotte is an important step for us. Our goal is to deeply integrate into the local culture, focusing on the products people use daily, how they interact with technology, and how they derive value from their everyday experiences.

By collaborating with established companies like Lotte, we can integrate our infrastructure into platforms that people already trust and use. This not only strengthens our presence in the region but also ensures that we provide core backend technical support to these key participants.

Deep Tide TechFlow: Aptos's collaboration with the Japan Expo this year should be very exciting news. What strategic considerations do you have for this collaboration, and how is it performing so far? Will there be similar plans in the future?

Ash:

We are very honored to be part of this collaboration, and the strategic thinking behind it stems from our emphasis on the Expo, especially the significance of this format within the Asian community. For many people in the region, visiting the Expo can feel like a pilgrimage.

In fact, some members of our founding team, particularly those from China, shared their personal experiences of attending: they would take trains to see the Expo, highlighting its importance. The Expo holds a special place in the hearts of many, which deeply resonates with us.

From a strategic perspective, this collaboration aims to promote the real-world application of blockchain technology. Aptos has always believed that blockchain will become the "invisible infrastructure" supporting real-world use cases. Although we are still in the early stages, the current results are encouraging. We have already seen over 500,000 new accounts created, with more than 4.5 million transactions generated from these accounts. This is an important signal of real-world adoption, indicating that ordinary users, not just crypto enthusiasts, are participating in the ecosystem.

The collaboration with the Expo is just the beginning; we see it as part of a broader strategy to drive adoption in different markets. We are already exploring similar enterprise-level collaborations in other Asian markets. In the future, we will continue to work with large enterprises to bridge blockchain technology and real-world applications. The prospects are very promising, and we look forward to seeing these efforts materialize and expand in other markets.

Becoming the Top 1 Public Chain in Application Revenue

Deep Tide TechFlow: If you could only focus on three most important things to do in the next year, what would they be?

Ash:

For me, the core focus is singular: to become the top public chain in terms of application revenue.

The core of a successful ecosystem lies in enabling different types of businesses and founders to generate revenue, sustain operations, and grow into unicorns. To this end, we focus on several key areas:

• Centralized liquidity on Aptos: Accelerating the development of DeFi through concentrated liquidity and projects like Decibel.

• Leveraging Shelby's role in data: Shelby will help us address data bottlenecks, enabling new types of products and services to be built on-chain.

• Native token issuance: We hope to see new types of tokens issued natively on Aptos and actively traded.

These initiatives are crucial for helping founders build sustainable and profitable businesses on Aptos.

Deep Tide TechFlow: Many people often compare Aptos and Sui, especially in terms of competition. How do you view this competition? How does Aptos position itself relative to other projects like Sui?

Ash:

I do not focus on competing with Sui; rather, I am more concerned with competing with ourselves.

What I mean is that, in terms of various metrics, Aptos has made significant progress in on-chain fundamentals. We consistently rank in the top ten for TVL, daily trading volume, RWA, and stablecoin trading volume. We focus on improving these metrics because they are key to driving adoption.

In terms of project financing, my philosophy is simple: if a team believes our technology can uniquely support them in building great products, and they need to expand to other chains, I will never stand in their way. I want builders to have the ability to grow and expand, rather than being confined to a single ecosystem.

The key difference between Aptos and Sui lies in our philosophy. Our CEO Avery previously led blockchain engineering at Meta, overseeing the development of blockchain for production environments. The technology we use today directly stems from this, which is why many projects, including Polygon and StarkNet, adopt the same technology. Our success in parallel consensus and parallel execution further demonstrates that the market values elegant, composable technology, which is why many choose Aptos as their underlying public chain.

Deep Tide TechFlow: How do you view the importance of token prices and Aptos's long-term vision? We have discussed the importance of community and ecosystem multiple times. Can you share your thoughts on the role of token prices in this ecosystem?

Ash:

I believe that tokens themselves are a product, and for a Layer 1 public chain, tokens are crucial; they are like the crude oil underground that powers our cars, and we firmly believe in this.

Secondly, I think the market has not yet truly understood the magnitude of the impact we are generating, but we believe the market will soon realize.

Thirdly, we firmly believe in long-termism. I strongly feel that many projects that frequently make headlines today may not exist in a few years, while we will still be here.

My perspective may be a bit "spicy": I believe that while token prices are important, ultimately everything will depend on the team behind the project and what they care about. Many projects only care about token speculation and are not building anything real, which can backfire, harming themselves and the community, and hindering the development of the entire industry.

We focus on long-term growth, committed to building sustainable things, and striving for reasonable progress in regulation. Our goal is to promote the adoption and innovation of blockchain technology, and we are confident that Aptos will continue to play an important role in the future of the industry because I believe that teams with a long-term vision will ultimately be the biggest winners.

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