For as long as I can remember, I’ve been passionate about building systems that empower people—fairer, more open systems. Since 2016, I have been deeply involved in the blockchain world, both exploring and contributing to its transformative social and economic potential.
Three years ago, Avery and I co-founded Aptos Labs with a simple but ambitious goal: to create a resilient and scalable foundation capable of creating fair and efficient products for the future. Today, I am incredibly proud of how far we have come. Aptos stands as one of the most robust ecosystems, trusted by over a thousand builders and innovators around the globe. The ecosystem has thrived across cycles, growing stronger and more vibrant each time.
Today I am stepping away from Aptos Labs to start a new chapter. One of my true passions lies in building companies from the ground up and we have done that at Aptos Labs by building a world-class team. I leave Aptos Labs with the utmost confidence in the team, and strongly believe the talent and drive of Aptos Labs will bring our collective vision to life in the near future. Avery will be stepping in as the Aptos Lab’s CEO to drive the company into its next phase of growth.
The Aptos ecosystem continues to shine, driven by the incredible work of early builders that have become friends, like Merkle Trade, Thala Labs, Kyd Labs, Econia, MyCo, and Aave. This growth is further amplified by the support of partners like BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, Mastercard, Google, Microsoft, NBCU, BCG and leading companies across South Korea, Japan, and beyond. The convergence of Web3 and Web2 is unfolding rapidly, and Aptos stands at the forefront, driving innovation and scaling possibilities.
None of this would have been possible without the unwavering support of our incredible investors. I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Dragonfly, Blocktower, Haun Ventures, Hashed, IRONGREY, a16z, Apollo, Coinbase, Parafi, Scribble, PayPal, Franklin Templeton, and the amazing angels who believed in our vision. Raising $400M was an incredible feat, and this strong foundation has been instrumental in enabling Aptos to thrive and grow.
Finally, the team at Aptos Labs is world-class. They have worked tirelessly to craft this ecosystem from scratch. Technology without them is technology without soul. Their care and efforts are the reason we stand with confidence today, and their work will only accelerate as Aptos enters its next chapter.
I will always remain a champion of Aptos and its mission. As such, I will stay on as a strategic advisor to Aptos Labs and look forward to continuing to help Aptos maintain its role as the world’s leading blockchain.
Over the coming months, I plan to take some much-needed time to reflect on where the world is headed and to think deeply about the ways financial systems can evolve to continue to push Aptos as the most established layer 1 in the space.
You all know where to find me. I look forward to staying connected, supporting this incredible ecosystem, and seeing what the future holds for Aptos and the broader Web3 community.
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Acknowledged that it could have gone better. Building a decentralized protocol from the ground up is tough! Aptos is fortunate to have a fantastic community that's constantly evolving together.
Addressing some concerns below:
Genesis: the Aptos genesis occurred on Oct. 12
To secure the network, Aptos launched with a set of 102 validators. They are mostly driven by the community and are staking today. These validators have gone through extensive testing ahead of mainnet.
The Aptos tokenomics is designed with people at the core. Tokens allocated are as follows:
2/ Aptos is a new, independent project to fulfill our vision of delivering the safest and most production-ready blockchain in the world. Our mission is to create universal and fair access to decentralized assets for billions of people.
3/ We are the original creators, researchers, designers, and builders of Diem, the blockchain that was first built to serve this purpose. While the world never got to see what we built, our work is far from over.