The success of a blockchain hinges on two pillars: servicing a large number of concurrent users and hosting applications that give them a compelling reason to use the chain. Aptos is making notable strides on both fronts, increasingly centering itself around high-frequency, capital-intensive financial applications. With its native order book layer, recent upgrades to performance & consensus, and new products like Shelby, Aptos is positioning itself to realize its mission of becoming the Global Trading Engine.
Its highly performant tech stack and growing capital base are clearly beginning to bear fruit. In H1 2025, TVL climbed to a new ATH of over $1.3 billion. Block times dropped by roughly 45% to under 125 milliseconds – making Aptos the fastest L1 measured by block times. And monthly DEX volume consistently surpassed $2.9 billion.
Meanwhile, the ecosystem is evolving into a true DeFi hub. In June, Aave’s governance approved its first non-EVM deployment on Aptos. And marquee protocols – such as Thala, Echo, Hyperion, Ekiden, Aries Markets, and many more – are steadily gaining traction and capturing market share. While Aptos still has ground to cover in establishing itself as a top ecosystem in terms of activity and mindshare, it’s firmly asserting itself as a serious contender in the race for DeFi dominance.
Read our full consulting report for a deeper look into the Aptos ecosystem, emerging opportunities, and what lies ahead for its product layer.
