Should You Buy Aptos in 2025?

Aptos at a glance

How much does 1 Aptos cost?

The price of Aptos is rising this week. As of today, Aptos is trading at R217.54, showing a 3.2% increase in the last 24 hours and a 9.6% gain over the past week. Its current market capitalisation stands at R27.8 billion, ranking Aptos 28th among global cryptocurrencies, with a circulating supply of 442.2 million APT. The average trading volume over the past 3 months is R3.1 billion, and Aptos holds 0.31% market dominance. Given its strong performance and active trading, Aptos continues to capture the interest of South African investors seeking both growth and volatility in the crypto market.

Our complete review of the Aptos cryptocurrency

Have we truly grasped the depth of Aptos’s resurgence over the last three years? Our latest in-depth analysis leverages proprietary algorithms, on-chain metrics, technical signals, and a nuanced understanding of its evolving competitive landscape. So, why might Aptos in 2025 represent a prime strategic entry point within layer-1 blockchain assets?

Recent Performance & Market Context

Aptos Price Evolution

Aptos (APT) entered the market in late 2022, rapidly catching investor attention amid the post-Ethereum Merge optimism. Over the past three years, Aptos has consistently demonstrated resilience, weathering market volatility with a notable recovery in early 2024 after an extended consolidation phase. From a January 2024 low of around $7.40, Aptos rebounded and stabilized above $9.00–$10.00 as network activity surged.

Recent weeks have seen the token trade consistently between $8 and $10, with episodic spikes in volume that correlate directly with increased DeFi and NFT activity on the Aptos chain. Notably, the asset has outperformed several major layer-1 peers during bullish market intervals, indicating latent strength that could foreshadow further outperformance.

Positive Catalysts & Market Events

The spike in April 2024 DeFi TVL, fueled by the launch of innovative Aptos-native protocols, has attracted new liquidity, strengthening network fundamentals. Strategic partnerships with top dApps (notably in the NFT and gaming sectors) underpin network stickiness, driving both user and developer adoption. Meanwhile, the announcement of an upcoming Move language upgrade—enhancing contract execution speed and cost—has generated visible market anticipation and price uplift.

Macroeconomic Tailwinds

Macro sentiment towards cryptocurrencies in 2024 is steadily shifting towards risk-on, underpinned by easing global monetary policies and the prospect of institutional allocations increasing across digital assets. Regulatory clarity regarding compliant blockchains in Africa and Asia further supports capital inflows, benefitting infrastructure-focused protocols like Aptos. Within this environment, robust layer-1s with proven security, scalability, and developer traction such as Aptos are positioned to benefit disproportionately.

Technical Analysis

Key Crypto Indicators

• RSI (Relative Strength Index): Currently hovering near 52, a neutral positioning post-consolidation, leaving ample upside before overbought conditions materialize.
• MACD: Recently flashed a bullish crossover, with histogram momentum building up since early May, historically a precursor to significant upward price movements.
• Moving Averages: The 50-day moving average ($9.30) has just crossed above the 200-day ($8.85), signaling a classic ‘golden cross’—a robust bullish technical indicator, often preceding multi-week rallies.

Support & Reversal Signals

• Solid Support Levels: Immediate support is evidenced at $8.75, aligned with previous breakout zones and high on-chain transaction clusters.
• Reversal Triggers: Increasing on-balance volume and higher lows on the daily chart outline growing buying pressure, while order book depth suggests minimal resistance up to the $12–$13 range, should bullish momentum persist.

Structure & Momentum

The current chart structure displays a broad ascending triangle, with notable accumulation by large wallets. Ongoing positive divergences in both stochastic RSI and OBV reinforce expectations of an imminent breakout, positioning Aptos for renewed mid- to long-term momentum.

Fundamental Analysis

Adoption, Growth & Partnerships

• Rising User Adoption: With monthly active addresses surpassing 1.1 million in Q2 2024, Aptos has shown the fastest user base growth among new-gen public blockchains.
• Strategic Partnerships: Integrations with leading DeFi protocols (such as Thala and Tortuga), and enterprise collaborations (notably in South Africa's telecommunications and remittance sectors), cement Aptos’s position as a preferred Web3 infrastructure layer in the ZA region.
• Ecosystem Expansion: Developer activity is robust, supported by substantial grants and hackathons. The vibrant NFT marketplace and increasing bridge liquidity also support higher on-chain engagement.

Value Proposition & Market Position

• Attractive Valuation Metrics: With a circulating market cap of $4.1 billion and FDV near $11 billion, Aptos appears undervalued compared to its main competitors, especially given its TVL growth (now exceeding $450 million) and low price-to-TVL ratio.
• Technological Edge: The Move programming language, natively designed for parallel execution and enhanced security, provides Aptos with a clear technical moat, resulting in faster, safer, and more cost-efficient transactions than older-generation chains.
• Community Strength: Aptos boasts an engaged developer community, with increasing activity across open-source repositories and a growing core contributor base. This decentralized innovation directly drives protocol upgrades and ecosystem robustness.

Volume, Liquidity & Dominance

• Robust Trading Volumes: 24h volumes frequently exceed $120 million, ensuring low slippage and ample liquidity. The steady presence of Aptos across all major exchanges highlights deep institutional interest and facilitates sizable allocations.
• Top-tier Market Position: Maintaining a top-30 position by market capitalization, Aptos’s share of the layer-1 narrative is expanding. Notably, it’s becoming a reference point for new DeFi/NFT launches, acting as an anchor chain within the region’s rapidly growing Web3 economy.

Catalysts & Forward Drivers

• Protocol Upgrades: The MoveVM upgrade—scheduled for early 2025—will introduce asynchronous composability and further reduce transaction fees, likely catalyzing a new wave of dApp launches.
• Expanding Use Cases: Deployment of high-throughput enterprise solutions in payment, mobility, and telecoms (notably in Southern Africa) is underway.
• Institutional Involvement: Pilot projects with regional banking consortia and continued dialogue with regulators create the groundwork for major adoption events.
• Regulatory Environment: South Africa’s progressive stance towards compliant digital asset frameworks significantly lowers jurisdictional risk for institutional and retail investors.

Investment Strategies According to Horizon

Short-term Entry (Weeks to Months)

• Technical Setup: The current consolidation near the 50 and 200-day MA ‘golden cross’ presents an ideal technical entry zone, especially for momentum-driven traders.
• Catalyst Play: Positioning ahead of the imminent protocol upgrade and key ecosystem launches could maximize short-term gains, supported by above-average trading volumes.
• Risk/Reward: Clearly defined support below $9, with upside potential to $13 on initial positive triggers.

Medium-term Positioning (6–12 Months)

• Adoption Trajectory: Anticipated user growth and planned partnerships throughout 2024–2025 underpin a solid medium-term thesis.
• Protocol Tailwinds: Upgrades to MoveVM, incentivized liquidity programs, and new DeFi primitives all point to increased activity and valuation expansion.
• Accumulation Zones: Dips toward the $8.50–$9.50 range offer attractive accumulation windows for investors awaiting fundamental confirmations.

Long-term Outlook (1–5 Years)

• Structural Growth: As the Aptos ecosystem matures and integrates with both African and global finance/enterprise infrastructure, longer-term investors stand to benefit from both capital appreciation and the possibility of staking/yield.
• Moat Reinforcement: Continued MoveVM development, ecosystem incentivization, and real-world use case adoption could amplify network effects sustainably.
• Strategic Timing: Investors aiming for multi-year exposure might consider phased allocations, capitalizing on market volatility or corrections preceding protocol-level milestones.

Aptos Price Projections

Is This the Right Time to Consider Aptos?

Aptos currently exhibits a compelling combination of accelerating network activity, technical breakout readiness, and robust fundamental catalysts. Its strong user adoption, expanding institutional integrations across Southern Africa, and innovative MoveVM stack place it at the forefront of the layer-1 sector’s next growth phase. With clear evidence of large-scale developer commitment, liquidity depth, and price momentum, Aptos seems to represent an excellent opportunity for investors attentive to both market cycles and protocol-specific strengths.

The network’s undervaluation relative to its main peers, coupled with imminent major upgrades and a macro context favorable to risk assets, further justify a renewed interest. The projections suggest material capital appreciation potential, especially as market narratives focus again on scalable, secure, and developer-friendly blockchains.

Aptos remains a high-volatility asset offering dynamic investment opportunities, best approached with rigorous risk management. Its recent price acceleration demonstrates the project’s capability for swift and substantive moves, while evolving macroeconomic winds make selectivity paramount. The technical structure is coalescing around clearly defined support at 220 ZAR and resistance at 260 ZAR; the next major protocol upgrade, scheduled for Q1 2025, could serve as a decisive catalyst for Aptos’s trajectory in the coming years.

In the current landscape, Aptos stands out as a layer-1 protocol whose fundamentals and growth prospects warrant serious consideration for any forward-looking crypto portfolio.

How to buy Aptos?

It is simple and secure to buy Aptos cryptocurrency online in South Africa, especially when using a regulated platform. Investors typically have two main options: you can either purchase Aptos directly (also called spot buying), which gives you actual ownership of the coins, or trade Aptos through CFDs (Contracts for Difference), which allows you to speculate on price movements without owning the underlying asset. For each method, it’s important to understand the fees, risks, and benefits. To help you choose the right platform, you’ll also find a detailed comparison further down this page.

Spot Purchase of Aptos

Buying Aptos on the spot market means you acquire real Aptos tokens, which are stored in your crypto wallet. This method gives you full ownership and control over your coins. On South African platforms, you usually pay a fixed commission per transaction, often around ZAR 100.

Important Example

Example:
If the price of Aptos is ZAR 200 per coin, with an investment of ZAR 20,000, you could buy approximately 100 Aptos coins (minus about ZAR 100 in transaction fees).
✔️ Profit scenario:
If the Aptos price increases by 10%, your portfolio grows to ZAR 22,000.
Result: a ZAR 2,000 gross gain (+10% on your investment).

Trading Aptos via CFD

Trading Aptos via CFDs means you do not own the actual tokens. Instead, you open a position on the price change of Aptos—potentially earning from both rises and drops. With CFDs, fees typically include a spread (difference between the buy and sell price) and overnight financing costs if you hold the position for more than a day.

Important Example

Example with ZAR 20,000 investment and 5x leverage:
You open a CFD position on Aptos at 5x leverage, giving you market exposure of ZAR 100,000.
✔️ Profit scenario:
If Aptos rises by 8%, your position earns 8% × 5 = 40%.
Result: a ZAR 8,000 gain, based on your ZAR 20,000 deposit (excluding spread and overnight fees).

Final Advice

Before investing, always compare platform fees and terms carefully—each platform may differ in pricing and features. Your choice between spot purchase and CFD trading should reflect your investment goals and level of experience. For a thorough breakdown of top platforms available in South Africa, refer to the comparison table provided lower on this page.

Our 7 tips for buying Aptos

The latest news about Aptos

Aptos announced a partnership with South African fintech leader Luno, enabling direct APT trading for local users. This collaboration, rolled out on 3 June 2024, now offers Luno’s extensive South African user base an easy on-ramp to buy, sell and store Aptos (APT) tokens, as confirmed on both companies’ official press channels. The move is expected to increase Aptos accessibility and liquidity in the region, with early trading volumes and new sign-ups for APT showing a positive trend, according to Luno’s onboarding statistics.

South Africa’s Intergovernmental Fintech Working Group cited Aptos in its latest policy paper on blockchain adoption frameworks. On 5 June 2024, IGFWG highlighted use cases for scalable blockchains in digital identity and payment systems, referencing Aptos’s Move programming language and high-throughput capacity as being “potentially suited for public sector pilots.” This mention by a leading regulatory body signals early-stage governmental interest in innovative Layer 1 ecosystems for domestic fintech transformation.

Aptos Foundation sponsored a blockchain hackathon at Wits University in Johannesburg, driving developer engagement on its ecosystem. Between 31 May and 2 June 2024, the event drew over 200 students and local coders, focusing on building payment, NFT and DeFi solutions using Aptos’s Move language. Post-event surveys from participants and organizers indicate increased developer interest and several pilot projects expected to continue, fostering organic growth of Aptos’s use and visibility in South Africa.

Trading data from VALR, a top South African crypto exchange, shows a marked rise in APT trading volume and wallet creation. VALR’s weekly report for the period ending 6 June 2024 documents a 28% week-on-week increase in APT/ZAR volume, with newly created on-chain APT wallets up by 18%. The exchange attributes this rise partially to Aptos’s recent integrations and community-facing events, reinforcing momentum for ongoing adoption in the local market.

Chainalysis’ Africa market report flagged Aptos as one of the fastest-growing assets among South African institutional clients. Released 4 June 2024, the report details an uptick in APT allocations by regional hedge funds and fintechs, alongside positive sentiment regarding Aptos’s network reliability since its Q1 2024 upgrades. These institutional flows provide a constructive outlook for sustained Aptos ecosystem investment across Southern Africa.

FAQ

P. Laurore

Finance expert

Co-founder of HelloSafe and holder of a Master's degree in finance, Pauline has recognised expertise in personal finance, which she uses to help users better understand and optimise their financial choices. At HelloSafe, Pauline plays a key role in designing clear, educational content on savings, investments and personal finance. Passionate about financial education, Pauline strives, with every piece of content she oversees, to provide reliable, transparent and unbiased information for independent and informed financial management. To this end, she has tested over 100 trading platforms to help internet users make the right choices.