A new Layer 1 network, Aptos, has recently launched its mainnet in pursuit of the mission to provide "the most scalable and safe layer one blockchain services on the market", and it is considered one of the most anticipated launches in years.? 

In July, FTX Ventures led a $150 million raise for Aptos, a blockchain startup founded by former Meta employees. Aptos launched its mainnet after four years of technological development and with a valuation of $1 billion. In a recent announcement, Aptos investor FTX said that on Wednesday, it will list the APT token on its exchange.? 

A great deal of attention has been focused on Aptos - which has been called a potential "Solana killer," as this is the latest attempt to create a perfect blockchain for smart contracts, which is capable of supporting NFTs, DAOs, and DeFi. 

According to the company's testing, it claims to have managed 130,000 transactions per second, compared to 30 transactions per second on Ethereum. The Move programming language that is affiliated with Aptos is also crucial to its nascent ecosystem. On its Medium page, Aptos writes that it is focused on usability, upgradeability, and cutting-edge technology. “There is already a robust ecosystem of hundreds of projects and hundreds of thousands of community members that have made Aptos their home,” it said.? 

In March, Aptos closed a $200 million round of strategic funding led by Andreessen Horowitz. The rapid growth of Aptos in such a short time had many Web3 circles claiming investors were ditching Solana for it.