Aptos' 'Global Digital Economic Zone' Strategy Gains Spotlight at the Osaka-Kansai Expo — Exclusive Interview with Aptos Labs CEO Avery Ching

What's Aptos

Aptos is a high-performance Layer 1 blockchain project that has been garnering attention since its mainnet launch in 2022. Developed by a team primarily composed of former developers from Meta's (formerly Facebook) Diem project, it utilizes a unique programming language called 'Move' to achieve both security and scalability.

──Can you tell us about the origins of launching Aptos Labs? What motivated you to start Aptos?

Avery Ching: Aptos is a high-performance Layer 1 blockchain, established by a team of former engineers and technologists from Meta, including myself as a co-founder. Aptos is built upon the Diem blockchain and the Move programming language.

At Meta, I led the design and launch of the Diem blockchain architecture, tackling the most challenging issues of blockchain scalability for billions of users. When the Diem project was discontinued, we were convinced that the technology and vision we had developed were too promising to abandon. We strongly believed that blockchain could transform how people communicate and transact online, making it safer, more efficient, and scalable. This belief led me to co-found Aptos Labs and advance towards realizing that vision.

From the beginning, our mission has been to build a Layer 1 blockchain with security, scalability, high throughput, and low latency, centered around a developer-focused approach. We aim to make Web3.0 more accessible, user-friendly, and impactful for billions of people worldwide.

──You became the CEO of Aptos Labs at the end of 2024. Could you reflect on your experience so far?

Ching: Becoming the CEO of Aptos Labs at the end of 2024 marked an important milestone in Aptos' evolution from 'building an innovative platform' to 'supporting real-world applications on a large scale'.

Over the past year, blockchain has gained mainstream attention not just as a speculative technology but as a practical solution to real-world problems. This shift has created new opportunities to deliver everyday applications that bring true value to businesses, communities, and society at large.

One example is the role of the Aptos blockchain as the foundation for the 'EXPO2025 Digital Wallet'. Through initiatives like the 'Aptos EXPO Memorial Stamp Rally', we are creating new touchpoints with users.

As CEO, my mission is to build real-world use cases using the Aptos blockchain, collaborating with regulators, enterprises, and developers to solve challenges and create sustainable value.

※1: A digital currency development project led by Meta (formerly Facebook).

※2: The total number of transactions processed per second.