See More

How to Buy Aptos (APT) and Everything You Need to Know

15 mins
Updated by May Woods
Join our Trading Community on Telegram

Aptos is a scalable, layer-1 proof-of-stake blockchain launched in 2022. If you are looking to buy the native APT coin and learn more about how the project is faring in 2024, check out this complete guide. Here’s how to buy Aptos and everything else you need to know.

Methodology

Where to buy Aptos (APT)

Before you buy APT, you must choose a platform that can facilitate the transaction. Crypto enthusiasts looking to buy Aptos have a number of leading exchanges to choose from. Here’s a quick summary of BeInCrypto’s top recommended platforms for users looking to purchase APT safely and securely.

Availability
190+
Fees
0.16%/0.26% (maker/taker)
Payment methods
Apple/Google Pay, Debit/Credit, and 3+
Best feature
Trading interface
Availability
100+ countries
Fees
$0.99-$4.19
Payment methods
Bank transfer, PayPal, and 3+
Best feature
Learn-to-earn
Availability
184+ countries
Fees
0.25-2.65%
Payment methods
Bank transfer, debit/credit, and 3+
Best features
Precious metals and fiat currency
Availability
200+
Fees
0.1%
Payment methods
Fiat and third-party processors
Best feature
Low fees
Availability
160+
Fees
0.1%
Payment methods
Debit, credit, and 300+
Best feature
Payment method support

How to buy Aptos (APT)

As listed above, a number of leading crypto exchanges support Aptos (APT). For this demonstration, we will use Kraken, a U.S.-based exchange available in more than 190 countries.

1. Create a personal account: Before you can buy Aptos, you must select an exchange that supports it. When you do, create a personal account. You will need a phone number, email address, and government photo ID to use Kraken.

how to buy aptos step 1

2. Download and open the Kraken app: After you create your account, download and open the Kraken app on your phone. It is available in the Google Play and Apple Store. Open the app and select “Explore.” Select Aptos (APT) to continue.

how to buy aptos step 2

3. Select the “Buy” button: On the following page, you will notice a chart of Aptos’s price performance. You can select between five different time intervals. Navigate to the bottom of the screen and select the “Buy” button to continue to the next step.

how to buy aptos step 3

4. Select the amount to buy Aptos (APT): On this screen, select the amount of Aptos you want to buy. Here, you have four buttons to select an amount. You will also notice that you can choose between different order types and payment methods. Press “Next” once you have entered this information.

how to buy aptos step 4

5. Confirm your choices: Check all of the information you have entered. If everything is correct, swipe right at the bottom of the page to confirm your order.

how to buy aptos step 5

Congratulations, you have successfully bought Aptos (APT)!

Aptos

How to sell Aptos (APT)

1. Navigate to your portfolio: Open the Kraken app and navigate to your “Portfolio” tab. Here, you can see the balance of your deposits and all of the cryptocurrencies that you currently hold. Select Aptos to continue.

how to sell APT step 1

2. Select the “Sell” button: Once you click on Aptos, it will take you to a page that shows the complete history of your Aptos transactions on the Kraken app. Press the “Sell” button at the bottom of the screen to sell your APT.

how to sell APT step 2

3. Select the amount of APT to sell: Similar to the process of buying APT, you can also select different order types to sell APT. There are also buttons to select a predetermined amount of APT to sell for quick transactions. Once you have selected the amount, press “Next” to continue.

how to sell APT step 3

4. Confirm your choices: After you have selected the amount, you land on the following page to confirm your choices. After you have checked to make sure all of the information is correct, swipe right at the bottom of the screen.

Congratulations, you have successfully sold Aptos (APT)!

how to sell APT step 5

What is Aptos (APT)? 

Aptos is a layer-1 blockchain armed with smart contract capabilities. The name “Aptos,” derived from the Ohlone language, translates to “The People.” Aptos debuted on Oct. 12, 2022, with its main blockchain network, termed Aptos Autumn, debuting shortly afterward on Oct. 17, 2022.

Mo Shaikh, serving as CEO, and Avery Ching, acting as CTO, spearheaded the development of Aptos under the banner of Aptos Labs. Both founders are alumni of Meta, where they contributed to the now-defunct Project Libra, a proposed blockchain and digital currency initiative.

The Aptos Network is a protocol that’s designed to help potentially replace the way the internet exists today… Aptos sets itself apart from its competitors by constantly innovating and changing the way where we exist.

Mo Shaikh, CEO of Aptos Labs: YouTube
how to buy aptos founnders
Aptos founders: Aptoslabs.com

Despite Project Libra’s discontinuation, its technical groundwork and vision influenced the creation of Aptos Labs, paving the way for the Aptos and potentially other similar blockchain ventures.

Aptos has received at least $350 million over multiple rounds of funding from at least 25 well-known investors. Some of these include Franklin Templeton, Dragonfly Capital, A16z, FTX, and Binance Labs.

How does Aptos (APT) work?

Aptos stands out from other blockchains in many ways. The most obvious USP is its parallel execution of transactions. For reference, Ethereum is single-threaded. This means it can only execute transactions one at a time, one after another. This is the case for most blockchains, which presents a bottleneck for users. With parallel execution, Aptos can process multiple transactions at the same time without causing a conflict in the ledger. Here, throughput significantly increases beyond that of single-threaded blockchains.

In other words, the consensus process is constructed in a parallel framework, with each task — order, execute, and commit — processed independently. This structure enables transactions to be performed concurrently rather than having to wait for the following transaction to be committed.

/Related

More Articles

Another aspect unique to Aptos is the Move language. Move is a web3 smart contract programming language based on the Rust programming language. Meta (formerly Facebook) created Move for the Diem (Libra) blockchain.

AptosBFT is the Aptos protocol’s BFT consensus algorithm, which is based on the Jolteon consensus mechanism. It is a proof-of-stake (PoS) blockchain, which means that validators must stake or lock up their cryptocurrency in order to update blocks on-chain.

Much of the interest surrounding Aptos can be attributed to its intriguing background. Aptos is a blockchain guided by its unique ambitions and technological framework. It also draws historical significance from its roots in Meta’s abandoned Diem blockchain venture.

Notably, a significant portion of the Aptos development team previously contributed to the inception, architecture, and progression of the Diem project. Additionally, Aptos has garnered attention due to its close relationship with the Sui blockchain, another platform engineered by ex-Diem professionals.

This shared lineage between Aptos, Diem, and Sui highlights a deep-seated connection in their foundational technology and expertise, contributing to the buzz around Aptos.

Aptos (APT) vs. other cryptocurrencies

There is no shortage of cryptos with which to compare APT. The most anticipated comparison is arguably with its proverbial sibling, SUI. Here is a brief comparison of the platforms and their respective native coins.

Aptos (APT) vs. Sui: An ultimate comparison

Sui and Aptos are very similar in that they are both Diem’s spiritual offspring. The founders of both are from Meta. The networks also share some investors. Both blockchains use the Move programming language, although Sui uses a slightly modified version of Core Move.

aptos move programming language
Aptos vs. Sui programming language: Aptos.dev

But there are differences, too. For example, Sui can handle about 120,000 transactions every second, while Aptos can handle more — around 160,000. Aptos makes a new block every five seconds, but Sui is a bit faster, at every three seconds. Also, Aptos achieves finality in less than a second, while Sui is even quicker, taking only 480 milliseconds.

Sui has a maximum supply of 10 billion SUI. APT, on the other hand, does not have a fixed supply. Aptos has 129 validators operating the blockchain, while Sui has slightly fewer — about 104 validators.

When it comes to staking, the majority of SUI tokens are staked, which is over 8 billion SUI as of March 19, 2024. Users are staking almost 900 million APT, which is slightly less than the circulating supply of APT, which sits at a little over one billion.

Aptos (APT) ecosystem 

Moving to Aptos applications, users are spoiled for choice. Aptos has a huge variety of applications for users to choose from, ranging across many categories, such as:

aptos ecosystem
Aptos ecosystem: aptosfoundation.org

As you can see in the image above, projects like PancakeSwap and SushiSwap have already migrated to the Aptos ecosystem. Both are decentralized exchanges (DEX) native to the BNB blockchain that allow for DeFi activities.

Speaking of DeFi, Aptos also has a stablecoin. Thala is a token that allows you to borrow MOD, an overcollateralized stablecoin.

In the realm of bridging, you will also notice a few familiar faces. LayerZero, Wormhole, and OKX DEX are a few of the big-name bridges that you can use to move assets onto Aptos. LayerZero and Wormhole are key projects in the bridging sector. The former allows bridging for both messaging and assets, while the latter primarily deals with assets.

Aptos also supports decentralized social media. Chingari, TowneSquare, and Cafeteria are a few options that you can choose from. Chingari is a web3 social media platform that caters to India, Indonesia, Turkey, and many other countries.

Cafeteria is a social media app that allows you to create your own social media groups. Furthermore, TowneSquare is a social media app that covers a multitude of activities, including payments, community spaces, and discovering your favorite content and digital items.

Aptos (APT) wallets 

Consider the following wallets if you’re looking for the perfect place to store your APT. Each offers safe and secure storage for your Aptos crypto. Ensure that you always practice good crypto wallet security and never download or click on links you aren’t certain are official.

Type
Mobile
Custody
Non-custodial
Open-source
No
Type
Mobile
Custody
Non-custodial
Open-source
Partially

Nightly Wallet

Type
Mobile and browser extension
Custody
Non-custodial
Open-source
No
Type
Mobile and browser extension
Custody
Non-custodial
Open-source
Yes
Type
Mobile
Custody
Non-custodial
Open-source
Yes

Aptos (APT) staking

Staking involves participants locking up utility coins to support network consensus. Validators’ vote weights are proportional to their stakes, aligning blockchain performance with validators’ interests.

The staking process accommodates different roles: owners control funds, operators manage nodes, and voters engage in governance. Changes like adding or unlocking funds impact stake states and validator statuses, influencing their activities and rewards within the ecosystem.

In Aptos staking, you can delegate your coins to a validator — essentially like choosing someone to vote on your behalf in the network. To participate in the Aptos network as a validator, you must stake at least 1M APT tokens, with a maximum limit of 50M APT tokens.

Once part of the validator set, your stake is locked for a duration determined by Aptos governance. The network offers an Annual Percentage Rate (APR) of 7% on staked APT, with rewards distributed after each Epoch.

Validating process

As mentioned earlier, staking gives validators certain governance rights. Primarily, validators can update the distributed ledger that forms the blockchain. The process unfolds as follows:

  1. A validator leader is selected based on performance and stake, not by vote.
  2. The leader proposes a new block order and includes previous quorum votes.
  3. All validators vote on this new block proposal.
  4. Consensus among validators finalizes the block.
  5. Only the leader gets rewards, not the voting validators.
  6. The cycle repeats for subsequent blocks, with rewards distributed at the epoch end.

Aptos (APT): Should you buy into the hype?

Proof of concept is one thing, but how does Aptos fare in the wild? Continue reading to find out if Aptos is worth the hype.

Pros and cons of investing in Aptos (APT)

ProsCons
Fast block times and finalitySmall validator set size
High transaction throughputHigh staking requirements
Low transaction feesPoor network performance in prod.
Energy effecient
Ownable objects (e.g. tokens)

Aptos is very ambitious, which is commendable. In a world of EVM dominance, it is one of the few projects that has ventured into uncharted territories to build out its own ecosystem, virtual machine, and tooling.

However, ambition is not enough when it comes to users. Aptos has many good qualities and is extremely fast when it comes to transaction throughput and block times. Moreover, the revolutionary Move language allows accounts and addresses to actually own objects like fungible tokens.

In contrast, Ethereum and EVM-compatible chains do the opposite. Your tokens are simply smart contracts on Ethereum. The smart contract keeps track of all of the addresses holding the tokens. Your Ethereum account doesn’t actually hold the tokens.

On the other hand, Aptos has a small validator set, which means that the attack surface is small compared to that of its competitors. In the case of staking, this is where the ugly side of PoS can rear its ugly head. Aptos has a very high minimum staking requirement. In order to gain any share in the validator set, you must purchase tokens, which would inevitably and simultaneously increase the price. Lastly, Aptos boasts a high network performance potential, but it has yet to actually reach these metrics in production.

Is Aptos (APT) a good investment for you?

Aptos historical price: CoinMarketCap.com
Aptos historical price: CoinMarketCap.com

Despite its performance and concerns around decentralization, there may be opportunities for APT yet. However, users should keep in mind that there is a difference between trading and investing. Traders can make money regardless if the project is successful, while investors mainly depend on the success of the project itself.

That being said, APT has made higher highs since early 2024 in price and market cap. It is on a trajectory (as of March 18, 2024) to reach its previous all-time high price. This could be due to positive performance in the crypto markets in general, with Bitcoin having surpassed its all-time high on March 11, 2024 — a bullish sign for the entire decentralized asset ecosystem.

Major events like the impending Bitcoin halving, U.S. interest rate pauses, and a possible reversal could contribute to the performance of APT in 2024 and beyond.

Buy Aptos and other cryptos with caution

Overall, Aptos has done relatively well since its debut. It is revolutionary in the sense that it has built a unique product that users can enjoy. The network also created a lot of hype alongside its “sister” blockchain, Sui, and the team has since secured multiple deals that have added to the value of the chain. If these accomplishments pique your interest, you now know how to buy Aptos.

Remember to always do so with caution and a plan in place, including an exit strategy. Keep in mind that profits are not guaranteed, even in a bull market, and crypto remains a highly volatile asset class.

Frequently asked questions

Top crypto projects in the US | April 2024

Trusted

Disclaimer

In line with the Trust Project guidelines, the educational content on this website is offered in good faith and for general information purposes only. BeInCrypto prioritizes providing high-quality information, taking the time to research and create informative content for readers. While partners may reward the company with commissions for placements in articles, these commissions do not influence the unbiased, honest, and helpful content creation process. Any action taken by the reader based on this information is strictly at their own risk. Please note that our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.

Ryan1.png
Ryan Glenn
Ryan Glenn is a journalist, writer, and author. Ryan is motivated to educate as many people as possible on the benefits of web3 and cryptocurrency. He has authored “The Best Book for Learning Cryptocurrency,” and runs an educational platform, web3school.us, dedicated to demystifying the crypto space. Ryan built the platform to transition tech-savvy and non-tech individuals into crypto and give everyone a baseline understanding of the different fields in the cryptosphere. Ryan is also an...
READ FULL BIO
Sponsored
Sponsored