The Beginning: From Meta’s Diem Dream to Reality
Once upon a time (in tech years, that means just a few ago), Facebook—now Meta—decided to build its own cryptocurrency project called Diem. Ambitious? Absolutely. But did it work? Not quite.
When the project collapsed under regulatory heat, most folks thought it was game over. But that’s where Mo Shaikh and Avery Ching entered the picture—not just to salvage it, but to reinvent it completely.
What Went Wrong With Diem?
Meta’s Diem had the resources, brains, and hype. But what it didn’t have was regulatory goodwill. Governments were suspicious, afraid that a Facebook-run digital currency could become an economic superpower overnight.
After countless delays and complications, Diem was quietly shelved.
The Unexpected Opportunity
Where others saw failure, Mo and Avery saw potential. Instead of mourning Diem, they dissected it—learning from its strengths and dodging its flaws.
Who Are Mo Shaikh and Avery Ching?
Let’s meet the brains behind Aptos.
Mo Shaikh: The Visionary Strategist
With a background in strategy, investment, and scaling Web3 solutions, Mo isn’t your average crypto founder. He brings sharp business acumen and the ability to turn chaos into clarity.
Avery Ching: The Architect of Speed
Avery is a tech wizard. Formerly one of Meta’s top engineers, he played a key role in building Diem’s infrastructure. When Aptos launched, his fingerprints were all over its blazing speed.
Birth of Aptos: The Phoenix Rises
In early 2022, Aptos was born—not as a copy of Diem, but a complete reimagining of it.
And this time, it wasn’t tied to Meta. It was independent, agile, and focused.
A Clean Slate With Proven Brains
Mo and Avery gathered some of the best minds from Meta’s Diem team. This wasn’t a startup built from scratch; it was a dream team reboot.
Leveraging the Move Programming Language
Aptos uses Move, a programming language originally created for Diem. It’s fast, secure, and flexible.
What Makes Move Special?
- Built-in security for smart contracts
- Easy asset control
- Parallel execution for high throughput
Move makes writing blockchain code safer and faster. Developers love it, and users benefit from the speed.
Aptos’ Core Mission: Scale With Security
Mo and Avery didn’t just want to launch a fast blockchain. They wanted to solve the blockchain trilemma: scalability, security, and decentralization—without compromise.
Solving Blockchain’s Old Problems
Ethereum? Expensive and slow. Solana? Fast but unstable. Aptos promises speed and stability—a rare combo.
The 160,000 TPS Claim: Hype or Reality?
Aptos claims up to 160,000 transactions per second. That’s wild. And while real-world performance doesn’t always hit those numbers, it’s still one of the fastest blockchains out there.
VC Interest: Millions Poured In
Let’s talk money.
$350 Million in Funding, But Why?
VCs like a16z, Multicoin, and FTX Ventures (before it collapsed) poured cash into Aptos. Why?
Because the combo of:
- Proven team
- Powerful tech
- Market timing
…was just too good to ignore.
The Aptos Ecosystem: Rapid Growth
In less than a year, Aptos saw:
- Dozens of dApps
- Growing NFT marketplaces
- DeFi tools popping up everywhere
It’s not just hype—it’s building momentum.
Aptos vs The Competition
Aptos isn’t alone, of course. It’s got rivals.
Aptos vs Solana
Solana’s fast, but often suffers outages. Aptos is aiming for constant uptime with its parallel execution model.
Aptos vs Ethereum
Ethereum is rock-solid but slow and pricey. Aptos wants to offer a Web3 experience that feels like Web2.
The Magic Formula: Team, Tech, Timing
So, how did they do it?
Simple:
The right people, with the right tech, at the right time.
Mo and Avery took Meta’s mess and molded it into something truly magical.
Critics vs Believers: Mixed Signals From the Crypto World
Not everyone’s sold. Some call Aptos:
- “Overhyped”
- “VC chain”
- “Another ghost chain”
But others see the raw potential, especially given the developer-friendly tools and enterprise-level throughput.
The Road Ahead for Aptos
Let’s peek into the crystal ball.
What’s Next in Development?
- More interoperability
- Native stablecoins
- Better smart contract templates
Aptos is investing heavily in developer tools and community adoption.
Global Expansion Plans
From Asia to Europe to Africa, Aptos is spreading fast. Hackathons, partnerships, and onboarding are happening globally.
Final Thoughts: The Magic is Real
Mo Shaikh and Avery Ching didn’t just build a blockchain—they built a movement.
They turned a corporate flop into one of the most promising layer-1 chains in the world.
Call it timing, call it genius… or just call it Aptos Magic.
FAQs
1. What is Aptos?
Aptos is a next-gen Layer 1 blockchain focused on speed, scalability, and security. It’s built using the Move programming language, originally created for Meta’s Diem.
2. Who are the founders of Aptos?
Aptos was founded by Mo Shaikh and Avery Ching, both of whom previously worked on Meta’s Diem blockchain project.
3. What makes Aptos different from Solana or Ethereum?
Aptos uses parallel execution and the Move language to achieve faster transactions with fewer bottlenecks. It’s built to handle mass adoption with better reliability than many competitors.
4. Is Aptos decentralized?
Aptos is progressively decentralizing, starting with a validator-based model. The long-term goal is a robust, community-governed network.
5. Can developers build on Aptos easily?
Absolutely. Aptos provides extensive documentation, SDKs, and support for developers. It’s especially attractive for those familiar with Rust or Move.
