With Aptos’ state-of-the-art layer 1 blockchain, the network quickly became the best ecosystem for top-tier projects. This year marks unparalleled growth, tech leaps, and a thriving global community of innovators that the platform has nurtured. It's the Web3 hub for entrepreneurs, creators, major brands, and the next-generation blockchain.

If it's happening in Web3, it's happening on Aptos.

Aptos Tech: Move-ing Web3 Forward

Boasting the market's fastest and most efficient blockchain, Aptos is the springboard for developers building and deploying the next-gen of global applications. 

The Aptos World Tour Hackathon not only offered a Move-powered platform for developers to showcase UX-rich projects, but it sparked the global expansion of a collaborative community. Driven by the Aptos Foundation's commitment to advancing the first coding language agile enough to bring millions into Web3 through educational initiatives, the Aptos World Tour inspired many others along the way.

Aptos Foundation has been committed to transparency from the very beginning. In the months following Mainnet, The Aptos Foundation put forward the first, fully reproducible, performance benchmark test to set a gold standard for impactful performance. 

Aptos is not only pushing past tech boundaries – it’s embodying how tech can power positive improvements to society that help realize a transparent, inclusive, and decentralized future.

Aptos Ecosystem: Contributions and Collaborations

The story of the Aptos network isn’t about mere numbers, but the growth speaks for itself. From a commendable 30 projects at inception, today 200+ projects are live or are building on the network. 

From the outset, the developer community has been Aptos network's cornerstone, constantly innovating on-chain and bridging Web2-Web3 gaps. Aptos’ "developer-first" ethos isn't just talk—it's in the network’s DNA. From DeFi to NFTs, dApps to blockchain gaming, the Aptos landscape has thrived. Pioneering projects spanning entertainment, loyalty, gaming, finance, and more have taken root, all built natively on Aptos. 

Here are four highlights that showcase how the future internet is being built on Aptos:

• The Aptos Collective was established in February, spotlighting the global community's builders and web3 pioneers. Beyond the 'top contributor' badge, these trailblazers collaborate directly with the Aptos Foundation team, making real-time impacts on our ecosystem.

• The Aptos Foundation launched a Move-oriented Web3 grant program targeting Move-centric projects like Overmind. Their top-tier Move education platform accelerates developer onboarding for Aptos. In close partnership with the Aptos Foundation, Overmind has also awarded devs around $50k through their unique Move-focused learning quests.

• Entertainment and Media have found a web3 home on Aptos Network. NBCU, in partnership with Aptos Labs, launched two fan experiences for Renfield and The Exorcist: Believer on the network. On the music side of entertainment, KYD Labs powered the inaugural music festival with Web3 ticketing on Aptos—headlined by none other than Pitbull.

• Aptos is reshaping the DeFi landscape with groundbreaking projects and initiatives building on the network. PancakeSwap teamed up with LayerZero to bring a multi-chain existence to Aptos. Thala Labs not only integrated into the Aptos ecosystem, they also launched a grant fund to find, incubate, and scale the next generation of DeFi protocols completely on Aptos. Notably, Sushi chose Aptos as their first non-EVM chain, marking a significant milestone in the ecosystem's growth.

Aptos Grants and Responsibility

The Aptos Foundation focused heavily on grant programs to provide hands-on, thoughtful, and technical support to the Aptos global developer community in the first year following the launch of Mainnet. Highlights include:

• Teaming up with world-class venture firm, Outlier Ventures, to open an accelerator for Web3 builders. The inaugural class of innovators includes Aptos Arcade, ArmurAI, Duo, Wapal (by Mokshya Protocol), MoveFlow, SendInAir, SwapGPT and Yours (Blockwave Labs); 

• Launching a $20M Artist Grants Program to boost creativity across the Aptos ecosystem; 

• Announcing a partnership with Flowcarbon designed to meaningfully limit and offset our carbon emissions with the highest quality carbon credits in Web3. 

What’s Next

The work continues. Aptos is where developers, users, and innovative organizations supercharge the Web3 experience. With unmatched L1 infrastructure and Move, the future's electric. Heading into 2024, the Aptos Foundation's focus remains laser-sharp: fuel innovation, ensure security, and scale efficiently. Let’s MOVE!