Interview with Aptos Foundation SVP: Four Major Ecosystem Strategies to Build the World's Fastest Dollar Circulation Network

Explore Aptos’ differentiated ecosystem layout under the new cycle and new public chain competition landscape, as well as its future growth strategies under the core vision of becoming a “global trading engine.”

Written by: TechFlow

This year’s Korea Blockchain Week was bustling with people, and Aptos became one of the most high-profile projects:

On one hand, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced that Aptos Labs CEO Avery Ching has become a member of the Digital Asset Markets Subcommittee, marking an important voice for Aptos representing the entire industry in US crypto regulation;

On the other hand, Aptos has also made significant progress in the Korean market: Korea’s two major exchanges, Bithumb and Upbit, now support Aptos USDT deposits and withdrawals, and Lotte, one of Korea’s top five conglomerates, announced that its subsidiaries plan to expand their Aptos blockchain application landscape.

Amid a series of major news, we had an in-depth conversation with Ash Pampati, Senior Vice President of the Aptos Foundation, at the Korea Blockchain Week venue.

Focus is the most profound impression left by this conversation.

When talking about the current focus of Aptos’ ecosystem efforts, Ash responded without hesitation:

**The long-term strategic core of Aptos is DeFi, and our ultimate goal is to build a global trading engine.** But unlike other public chains that specialize in a single field, Aptos can simultaneously handle DeFi, stablecoins, payments, and decentralized storage. We are building a fertile ground for innovation to grow freely through solid blockchain infrastructure.

When discussing the three development priorities for Aptos in the coming year, Ash’s answer further reflected Aptos’ spirit of focus:

**For me, the most important thing is to become the TOP 1 public chain in terms of application revenue.** The core of a successful ecosystem is that different types of enterprises and founders can generate revenue, maintain operations, and grow into unicorns. We will provide comprehensive help and support around this core.

In this issue, let’s follow Ash Pampati’s sharing to deeply explore Aptos’ differentiated ecosystem layout under the new cycle and new public chain competition landscape, as well as its future growth strategies under the core vision of a “global trading engine.”

Four Major Ecosystem Dimensions to Attract Billions of Users On-Chain

TechFlow: We’re glad to have the opportunity for an in-depth conversation with you. Some Chinese-speaking users may not be familiar with your background, so could you please introduce yourself and share some of your past experiences and main responsibilities at Aptos?

Ash**:

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

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

My core task is to make these elements work together perfectly, thereby building a balanced and vibrant ecosystem.

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, whose core philosophy was to support applications with billions of users and build a more efficient, permissionless capital transfer channel, whether for Instagram, WhatsApp, or other global platforms. This philosophy and technology remain at the core of Aptos today.

Over the past year, we have focused on two key points: On one hand, promoting on-chain economic growth and strengthening enterprise interest in blockchain, thanks to the foundation we built at Meta, we have established deep trust with many enterprises and financial institutions, which has enabled us to connect and deepen these partnerships more smoothly after becoming independent; on the other hand, we have always been committed to ensuring the prosperity of the on-chain economy.

Specifically, we have made several core advances:

First, native trading activity on the Aptos decentralized exchange continues to grow, with our daily trading volume now exceeding $150 million, ranking among the TOP 10 blockchains.

Second, the scale of stablecoin trading and circulation on Aptos 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 deeply about is whether applications built on Aptos are truly generating revenue and forming sustainable business models. Encouragingly, in the past month, we have also entered the TOP 10 across all chains in terms of “application revenue.”

TechFlow: You mentioned some applications that have been successfully built and are generating 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 uphold a unique philosophy: we believe the next unicorn will be born from Web3-native founders. While institutional and enterprise attention 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 screening ecosystem projects.

Specifically, the Aptos ecosystem revolves around four important dimensions:

• DeFi** sector**

We see DeFi as the cornerstone of the global trading engine. By introducing native DEXs, Aptos is concentrating liquidity and making major breakthroughs in trading platform construction. For example, Hyperion, incubated in February in cooperation with our official Chinese community organization Movemaker, became the top DEX in the Aptos ecosystem by June, and completed TGE in July. This is exactly the ecosystem growth paradigm we expect.

• Money markets and lending sector

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

• Innovative project layout

We are very optimistic about Decibel, the native exchange incubated by Aptos Labs. The high-performance blockchain built by Aptos is crucial for onboarding billions of users, whether for crypto assets, traditional assets, or innovations such as streaming and AI that have not yet entered Web3. Trading is the core link, and we are building a global trading engine to support these innovations.

The decentralized storage project Shelby, jointly developed with Jump Crypto, is equally critical: it may sound a bit boring, but we firmly believe there are better solutions for cloud storage. Shelby provides a lossless experience at a lower cost than Web2 services like GCP/AWS/Azure, and reshapes the value exchange between creators and users through the Web3 incentive model.

• Breaking the data bottleneck

Data has always been a core obstacle to Web3 going mainstream. Shelby solves this pain point with a disruptive storage solution, paving the way for applications with a user base in the billions.

When I look at the Aptos ecosystem, I can confidently say it’s like a sleeping giant. We are at the beginning of a grander era, and the innovations we are making will power the next stage of Web3 development.

CEO Becomes Member of US Crypto Regulatory Body, a Milestone for the Entire Industry

TechFlow: Recently, DAT has been very popular, and many public chain tokens are announcing related moves. Does Aptos also have relevant plans?

Ash**:

Of course, we have clear plans in this regard, and there’s a lot to look forward to.

What I can share is that the DAT we are advancing will be unique. Although many projects have taken a follow-the-leader/copycat approach to DAT, we are focused on building a DAT that is deeply integrated with Aptos and truly differentiated.

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

Our goal is very ambitious. We are building with the vision of onboarding a billion users. Through cooperation and development with projects like Decibel and Shelby, as well as the startups we are incubating, Aptos is preparing for large-scale adoption. The DAT plan is a key part of this blueprint, providing broader accessibility for breakthrough blockchain innovation and opening new opportunities for investors and users.

TechFlow: Recently, Aptos Labs CEO Avery gave a speech in the US Congress and was appointed as a member of the Digital Asset Markets Subcommittee under the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). What does this mean for Aptos, and what impact will it have?

Ash**:

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

Avery’s participation is crucial for the entire industry. His direct contact with Congress provides valuable guidance on how blockchain can thrive in the US regulatory environment. His appointment as a member of the CFTC’s GMAC Subcommittee will further help ensure that blockchain has a clear and solid development path. I believe Avery has unique qualifications and will fulfill this role with extraordinary dedication.

Avery is an engineer focused on solving technical challenges elegantly and precisely, and his vision is to make the global economy run on blockchain infrastructure. This focus drives us to constantly improve; even though Aptos is already one of the fastest blockchains, we are always striving to make it even better.

Ultimately, Avery’s appointment is not only a victory for Aptos, but also for the entire US crypto sector. It will help advance discussions around blockchain technology and its role in the global economy.

TechFlow: Since Avery became CEO of Aptos Labs, what impact has his leadership had on the company’s direction? What innovations or changes can we expect under his leadership?

Ash**:

Avery has a unique leadership style. Some people are good at taking things from 0 to 1, while others are good at scaling up. Avery is more like a “1 to 100” leader.

As CEO, Avery’s philosophy is: technology is non-negotiable. We believe the next wave of adoption will be driven by excellent technology, which is why we continue to refine our technology every day.

Avery is also accelerating our ecosystem building. **In his first month in office, he drove a 10x expansion of the ecosystem, and I think he is laying the foundation for huge growth.** He is deeply involved in the ecosystem, working closely with entrepreneurs and builders, combining this approach with our institutional DNA, giving Aptos a unique advantage as we move into the next stage of growth.

The Long-Term Strategic Core of Aptos is DeFi

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 view.

First is stablecoins. Since our inception, we have paid close attention to stability. **Our original intention was to enable every dollar to flow efficiently and safely within an application ecosystem with billions of users.** We have recently integrated three major stablecoins: USDT, USDC, USDe, and accessed PayPal USD via LayerZero. Compared to Ethereum, Solana, etc., although we are young, we have managed to integrate so many stablecoins in a short time. For example, Aptos is now the second largest native deployment chain for USDT, second only to Tron.

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

**Second, I think the inclusiveness of DeFi is very important,** for example, enabling my father or your relatives and friends to get started. This inclusiveness is less correlated with market cycles, but is a more reliable way to allow capital to enter a global, permissionless economy and generate utility. Rain or shine, we believe inclusive DeFi is key to mass user adoption.

**Next is how to apply this mechanism to trading, which is why Decibel is so interesting.** Decibel is a trading platform deployed on Aptos. It’s not just about high-risk perpetual contract trading, but emphasizes earning yields, using yields as collateral, and a series of features that make capital flow more efficiently.

The reason I jokingly say “DeFi is a bit boring” is just because we’ve been talking about this word for ten years. We prefer to build a “global trading engine”—maybe not as catchy, but extremely significant.

TechFlow: Another practical observation: for transparency, every time we withdraw stablecoins from exchanges like Bybit, we find that fees on the Aptos chain are often the lowest, and it’s the choice of more and more users,

Ash**:

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

TechFlow: For the Chinese-speaking market, sometimes the community feels unclear about Aptos’ current ecosystem focus. Is Aptos currently more focused on DeFi, Game, or the hot RWA sector? 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 them, integrating Web3 liquidity takes up 80% of our effort, and we strictly select and support teams that meet this principle.

**In addition to DeFi, we also focus on the capital flow sector, which includes two pillars: stablecoins and payment systems.** For us, stablecoins are not only trading tools but also have huge potential in the real world, such as cross-border remittances and microloans—precisely the shortcomings of traditional finance. We see this as an important future component and are committed to supporting this ecosystem. The payments sector is where Aptos showcases its unique advantages, providing superior infrastructure and payment channels.

**At the same time, we are working with projects like Shelby to explore decentralized storage solutions, enabling both enterprise and consumer applications to be built on fully distributed systems.** In the next 6–12 months, we especially look forward to seeing developers build decentralized versions of YouTube or AI machine learning models based on this.

The uniqueness of Aptos lies in its versatility: unlike other public chains that specialize in a single field, we can simultaneously handle DeFi, stablecoins, payments, and decentralized storage.

On the user experience level, we believe the future of Web3 products will be more like “Web 2.5,” where users may not even realize they are interacting with blockchain. The key to achieving this is to provide an experience comparable to traditional social platforms. To do this, we need an extremely fast public chain with zero friction—if users encounter even a minute’s delay, they will leave the app. That’s why our insistence on speed, cost, and abstraction makes Aptos an ideal platform for startups.

A typical case is KGeN. The project started as a game distribution platform and later transformed into an AI model providing human verification services. They use the Aptos blockchain to achieve large-scale expansion at extremely low cost and have now become the largest non-DeFi profitable protocol in Web3, with annual recurring revenue expected to exceed $40 million.

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

TechFlow: Aptos has incubated some new projects in cooperation with OKX. Do you think this model will continue? Will Aptos further cooperate with more institutions to launch more new projects in the future?

Ash**:

I think so, and I believe the key is:

If the foundation is hands-on and clear about “where and what to build around,” this path can be successful.

In the past, one of the major doubts outsiders had about Aptos was related to your question: What does Aptos focus on? In which directions should I build? Is what I’m doing on Ethereum feasible on Aptos?

We will express our views very clearly. Specifically:

We will clearly prioritize tracks and specify which use cases are worth pursuing, and we are ready to provide support and funding.

At the same time, we will work with partners who are also highly committed to 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, so that builders, wherever they are, can rely on local teams and mentors for help and access to funding channels, whether from Aptos itself or third parties. For example, our cooperation with MoveMaker—I see it as our close partner, representing us in Hong Kong and rooted in Hong Kong’s core Web3 ecosystem.

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 within about half a year of our cooperation with MoveMaker, and all have great growth potential. This is a model I think is very important, and we hope to do more and bigger.

TechFlow: Regarding the recently hot RWA and AI sectors, does Aptos have any targeted plans?

Ash**:

Okay. First, regarding RWA, Aptos is currently among the top three or four public chains in this field, which is quite a breakthrough for such a new chain and fully reflects institutional trust in our technology and the security of the Move language.

However, there is still a key link missing, which is the actual use of RWA in user-facing DeFi. The concept of RWA is too broad—it could refer to stocks, stablecoins, fractionalized real estate, or any valuable asset. Each type of asset has a different use in decentralized trading. For example, some RWAs are more suitable as lending collateral, 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 the decentralized ecosystem.** In terms of market trust and RWA-related TVL, we have already been validated. Next, we hope to lead the advancement of actual RWA use cases.

**As for AI, I mainly look at it from two levels. First, how AI can be an accelerator to help founders build on-chain faster and smarter.** At Aptos Labs, we focus on a project called Giomi, a unique full-stack suite for developers, with built-in infrastructure, RPC, indexing, and user interfaces for easily building and deploying any DApp. AI is accelerating development and driving smarter applications in DeFi, SocialFi, and other fields.

**The second level is how users interact with data driven by AI.** Currently, users hand over data to centralized companies, which aggregate and respond based on that data. But I believe users will increasingly want to control the data they input into these engines. Blockchain applications in this area are just beginning, and we are actively looking for teams with clear views and innovative capabilities in this direction, supporting them to join and providing support.

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

Ash**:

Yes, Aptos’ advantage lies in our deep roots in Web2. We maintain close relationships with major tech hubs and financial institutions, which gives us a unique edge.

Any builder who comes to us can benefit from our network, and we actively facilitate cross-industry collaboration, introducing them to potential partners and stakeholders from both traditional industries and the emerging Web3 sector. Our goal is to make it easier for developers to connect Web2 and Web3 ecosystems, accelerating their project progress.

TechFlow: We’re having this conversation at KBW in Korea. How do you view the Asian market, and what differentiated layouts and strategies do you have for different regions?

Ash**:

When it comes to Asia, we don’t see it as a single entity. Asia is a diverse region with deep and varied cultures and sentiments, and we are clearly aware of this. **In Greater China, Japan, and Korea, a commonality is the high literacy and professionalism of their communities. I even think that Asian crypto communities often surpass many Western communities in knowledge depth and technical level.** They are not just following trends, but analyze public chains, evaluate fundamentals, and scrutinize project teams like professional analysts. We respect and deeply appreciate this, so we focus on working with these communities, listening to their feedback, and quickly implementing their insights into our products and ecosystem.

In Korea, we are very pleased to cooperate with leading institutions such as Upbit and Bithumb, as shown by our recent USDT-related announcement. Such cooperation allows us to better reach local users, enabling them to use the “world’s fastest dollar” for transactions directly in their daily lives. This kind of localized direct connection is crucial for building trust and conveying Aptos’ value in a way that fits the market.

We attach great importance to Aptos’ presence and investment in Asia, and we care deeply about deep integration with local culture and markets. Our strategy in Korea is to provide support directly within the market. We want the community to know that they can always reach members of the Foundation. Whether it’s business negotiations, technical support, or daily interaction, we promise to remain accessible and highly responsive. Our core is to build trust in the local community, cultivate long-term relationships, and make them feel supported and understood.

Japan is also particularly noteworthy at the moment, thanks to its more friendly crypto regulatory changes. We believe these new policies will unleash many opportunities in Japan, not only in trading but also in innovation and development. Japan’s attitude toward crypto is similar in many ways to Greater China and Korea, so we are excited about the potential for growth and innovation there. **Our goal is not only to participate in the Japanese market, but also to actively participate in shaping the local policy environment, just as we participate in policy discussions in the US.** We hope to support the evolution of Japanese regulation and help foster a healthy crypto ecosystem in the region.

TechFlow: You also announced a partnership with Korea’s Lotte Group this morning. Can you elaborate?

Ash**:

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

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

TechFlow: Aptos’ cooperation with the Japan Expo this year should be very exciting news. What is your strategic consideration for this cooperation, how is it going so far, and will there be similar plans in the future?

Ash**:

We are very honored to participate in this cooperation, and the strategic thinking behind it stems from our emphasis on the Expo, especially its significance in the Asian community. For many people in the region, visiting the Expo may be like a pilgrimage.

In fact, some members of our founding team, especially those from China, shared their personal experiences: as children, they would take the train to see the Expo, which shows its importance. The Expo holds a special place in many people’s hearts, and this deeply moved us.

Strategically, this cooperation aims to promote the real-world adoption 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 results so far are encouraging. **We have already seen more than 500,000 new accounts created, with over 4.5 million transactions generated in these accounts.** This is an important signal of real-world adoption, showing that ordinary users—not just crypto enthusiasts—are participating in the ecosystem.

The cooperation with the Expo is just the beginning. We see it as part of a broader strategy to promote adoption in different markets. We are already exploring similar enterprise-level cooperation in other Asian markets. In the future, we will continue to work with large enterprises to build bridges between blockchain technology and real-world applications. The prospects are very promising, and we look forward to these efforts being implemented and expanded in other markets.

Becoming the TOP 1 Public Chain in Application Revenue

TechFlow: If you could only do three most important things, what would you consider the three most important things to do in the next year?

Ash**:

For me, the most important thing is to become the TOP 1 public chain in terms of application revenue.

The core of a successful ecosystem is that different types of enterprises and founders can generate revenue, maintain operations, and grow into unicorns. To this end, we focus on several key areas:

• Concentrated liquidity on Aptos: Accelerating DeFi development by concentrating liquidity and launching projects like Decibel.

• Leveraging Shelby’s role in data: Shelby will help us solve the data bottleneck, enabling new types of products and services to be built on-chain.

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

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

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 don’t focus on competing with Sui; instead, I focus more on competing with ourselves.

What I mean is, by all metrics, Aptos has made tremendous progress in on-chain fundamentals. We consistently rank in the top ten in 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 funding, my philosophy is simple: if a team thinks our technology can uniquely support them in building great products, and they need to expand to other chains, I will never stop them. I want builders to have the ability to grow and expand, not be limited to a single ecosystem.

The key difference between Aptos and Sui is our philosophy. Our CEO Avery was in charge of blockchain engineering at Meta, leading blockchain R&D for production environments. The technology we use today comes directly from this, which is why many projects, including Polygon and StarkNet, use the same technology. Our success in parallel consensus and parallel execution further proves that the market values elegant, composable technology, which is why many people choose Aptos as their base public chain.

TechFlow: How do you view the importance of token price and Aptos’ long-term vision? We’ve discussed the importance of community and ecosystem many times. Can you share your views on the role of token price in this ecosystem?

Ash**:

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

Secondly, I think the market has not yet truly understood the impact we have made, but we believe the market will understand soon.

Third, we are firmly committed to long-termism. I strongly feel that many projects that are often in the headlines today may not exist in a few years, but we will still be here.

My view may be a bit “spicy.” **I think while token price is important, everything ultimately depends on the team behind the project and what they care about.** Many projects only care about token games and are not building anything real, which will backfire, hurt themselves and the community, and hinder the development of the entire industry.

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

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