Aptos
also invests · investor profileUnicorn · $4B10 known investors
A layer 1 blockchain engineered to evolve.
Also known as APT · Aptos Foundation · Aptos Labs · Aptos Network
Investors · 10
Also in the syndicate · 4
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Aptos is a layer-1 proof-of-stake blockchain developed by Aptos Labs, a private blockchain technology company headquartered in Palo Alto, California. The chain uses the Move programming language, which originated in Meta's discontinued Diem project, and was designed to address scalability and efficiency limitations of earlier blockchain architectures. Aptos Labs builds the core protocol software along with developer tooling, SDKs and wallet products (including the Petra wallet and Aptos Connect) intended for DeFi, NFT, gaming and enterprise builders.
The Aptos mainnet launched in late 2022. The network's native token, APT, trades publicly; as of the CoinCarp snapshot it had a circulating supply of roughly 858 million APT against a maximum supply of 2.1 billion and a market capitalization near $496 million. Beyond protocol development, the Aptos Foundation operates as an investor in ecosystem projects, with 26 recorded investments across DeFi, infrastructure, payments, gaming, AI and social categories.
Aptos Labs has also pursued corporate development activity, including the October 2024 acquisition of Japanese company HashPalette Inc., developer of Palette Chain, and an equity investment in the Indian short-video app Chingari in February 2023.
Founding story
Founders Avery Ching and Mo Shaikh worked on Meta's Diem (formerly Libra) blockchain project. After Diem was cancelled, they founded Aptos Labs in 2021 and carried forward the technical work, including the Move smart-contract language and execution model research, into an independent public layer-1 chain.
Business model
Aptos Labs develops and maintains the Aptos layer-1 blockchain and associated developer tooling, wallets and SDKs; the Aptos Foundation additionally deploys capital into ecosystem projects. Sources do not describe a specific pricing or fee-capture mechanism beyond the existence of the native APT token.
Not described in the available sources.
Traction
Sources report $400-550 million raised depending on the source, a mainnet live since October 2022, an APT market capitalization of approximately $496 million and fully diluted value of about $1.21 billion at the CoinCarp snapshot, 26 ecosystem investments made by the Aptos Foundation, and partnerships with Microsoft, Google Cloud and NBCUniversal.
Latest developments
In October 2024 Aptos Labs acquired HashPalette Inc. in Japan; in November 2024 it led a $10 million round in KGeN at a $500 million valuation; and on December 19, 2024 Mo Shaikh stepped down as CEO with co-founder Avery Ching succeeding him. CryptoRank records Aptos Foundation ecosystem investments continuing into 2025 and later, including Momentum, Questflow, Tria, CreatorFi and Goblin Finance.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
Aptos is categorized as a layer-1 blockchain and, per CoinCarp, ranked #72 by market capitalization at the time of the snapshot. It is backed by well-known crypto and traditional investors and is positioned alongside other high-performance layer-1 networks competing for developer and institutional adoption.
Cited differentiators include native use of the Move language with formal verification support, a parallel and pipelined execution architecture targeting high throughput and sub-second finality, modular and upgradeable protocol design, first-party developer and wallet tooling, and enterprise/cloud partnerships supporting validator infrastructure.
Technology
Aptos is a proof-of-stake layer-1 blockchain that uses the Move smart-contract language, which supports formal verification tooling. Its architecture is described as pipelined and parallel transaction execution intended to increase throughput and reduce latency, with modular, upgradeable on-chain components. One secondary source cites a theoretical capacity of up to 160,000 transactions per second. First-party developer products include SDKs (including for Unity), the Petra wallet and Aptos Connect.
Go-to-market
Growth is pursued through developer tooling and SDKs, ecosystem funding via the Aptos Foundation, and strategic partnerships with large technology and media companies (Microsoft, Google Cloud, SK Telecom, NBCUniversal) as well as participation in regulator-led pilots such as Hong Kong's e-HKD program.
Developers and Web3 startups, DeFi and NFT teams, game studios, infrastructure providers, and enterprises and financial institutions exploring blockchain integration and tokenization.
Geography
Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, United States, with expansion activity in Japan (HashPalette acquisition), Hong Kong (e-HKD pilot with Boston Consulting Group and Hang Seng Bank), India (Chingari investment, STAN esports platform) and Korea (dedicated partnerships lead).
History
Aptos Labs was founded in 2021 by Avery Ching and Mo Shaikh, former Facebook/Meta employees, following the dissolution of Meta's Diem stablecoin and blockchain project; a number of other former Libra/Diem staff joined the company. The company raised a reported $400 million across seed and Series A rounds in 2022 and launched the Aptos mainnet in October 2022. Subsequent milestones include partnerships with Microsoft (2023) and Google Cloud (2024), selection for phase two of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority's e-HKD pilot in 2024, the acquisition of HashPalette Inc. in Japan in October 2024, and leadership of a $10 million round for gaming network KGeN in November 2024. On December 19, 2024, Mo Shaikh stepped down as CEO, remaining a strategic adviser, and co-founder and CTO Avery Ching became CEO.
Risks & controversies
A Fortune article referenced in Wikipedia notes a crypto winter and a $1 billion lawsuit against the CEO as risks to the company's plans. Investor lists include FTX Ventures and Three Arrows Capital, both associated with the 2022 crypto market collapse. Reported total funding figures differ materially across sources ($350M, $400M, $550M), and the APT token's retail ROI is listed by CryptoRank at 0.22x (-78%).
Compiled by commissioned research from 6 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Competitors · 6
by search overlap
Companies competing with Aptos for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.
Timeline · 10
launches, deals, and filingsCo-founder Mo Shaikh stepped down as CEO while remaining a strategic adviser; co-founder and CTO Avery Ching succeeded him as CEO.
Aptos Labs led a $10 million funding round for decentralized gaming network KGeN (Kratos Gamer Network), bringing its valuation to $500 million.
$10M source ↗
Aptos Labs expanded into the Japanese blockchain market by acquiring HashPalette Inc., developer of Palette Chain.
Aptos Labs was one of 11 firms selected for the second phase of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority's e-HKD pilot program, testing settlement of a tokenized fund using digital money on a public blockchain together with Boston Consulting Group and Hang Seng Bank.
Aptos Labs collaborated with Microsoft and SK Telecom on an institutional blockchain platform.
Google Cloud collaborated with Aptos Labs to provide infrastructure support and run a validator on the Aptos network.
Aptos Labs worked with NBCUniversal on blockchain-based digital experiences, including a Web3 game tied to the film 'Renfield', with NBCUniversal continuing to build on Aptos under a long-term agreement.
Aptos Labs partnered with Microsoft to explore integration of blockchain technology with AI and data services, including tools to help banks explore blockchain integrations on Azure.
Aptos Labs made an equity investment in the Indian short-video social media app Chingari.
The Aptos mainnet launched in October 2022 following several years of development.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
What Is CyberLeek Crypto? GTA 6 Leak Token, Price, and Scam Risks - Bitcoin Foundationbitcoinfoundation.org · Aug 2026
Aptos is Predicted to Drop to $ 0.413415 By Aug 19, 2026cryptonews.net · Aug 2026▸Research sources · 6
primary sources listed
- Aptos Funding Rounds & Investors | CoinCarpcoincarp.com · web
6 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Aptos do?
- Aptos is a Move-based layer-1 proof-of-stake blockchain built by Aptos Labs, founded in 2021 by former Meta Diem engineers.
- Who are Aptos's investors?
- Aptos's investors include MEXC Ventures, Variant Fund, Andreessen Horowitz, Jump Crypto, Multicoin Capital, Tiger Global Management.