Today let's talk about Aptos ($APT ), this project that claims to be a Layer1 killer, and why in my view it's just a carefully designed slow scam. It’s not a sudden explosion; rather, the project team slowly drains retail investors' hard-earned money through unlocking, selling, and manipulation. Don't rush; I'm not just speaking out of turn, I will let the data and history speak. If you hold APT, be sure to read this article to possibly limit your losses in time.
Since the Aptos mainnet launch in 2022, its tokenomics has been heavily criticized. On the surface, it has a total supply of 1 billion, with an initial circulation of only 130 million, appearing scarce and capable of driving up the price. But the truth is, the project team has designed a linear unlocking mechanism lasting several years, unlocking about 11.31 million APT each month, accounting for approximately 1.73% of the circulating supply.
For instance, on August 11-12, 2025, another 11.31 million APT was unlocked, worth about $52 million.
Next time? September 11, continue unlocking.
What does this mean? The supply continues to increase, and the token price is diluted. Even more frustrating is the choice to unlock during a bull market! The project team (including the team, VCs, and foundation) holds a large amount of locked tokens, and they don’t want APT to rise too high - when the market cap is high, the value of selling is greater! Historical data shows that price fluctuations are severe before and after unlocking: after unlocking 24.84 million APT (worth $329 million) in March 2024, the price plummeted in the short term.
After unlocking 11.31 million APT (worth $63.72 million) in May 2025, it's the same old story.
This 'gradual' unlocking is at the core of the chronic scam: appearing stable while continuously eroding your coin's value. The circulating supply has expanded from 130 million at the mainnet launch to now over 500 million, and will likely increase further. The result? APT has fallen from its peak of $13.73 in 2022 to the current range of $4-5.
Why is the increase in APT always so 'restrained' during a bull market? Because the project team is manipulating it! When the market is rising, they won't let it fly too high - they slowly release their tokens to match the buying volume. Data shows that after the APT airdrop in 2022, many people dumped instantly, causing the price to crash from $13 to $6.73.
What about during a downturn? Even harsher! When the market is falling, the project team takes the opportunity to sell infinitely, as the unlocked tokens flow in continuously. After the mainnet launch in 2022, the VC-heavy tokenomics were exposed, and the price was directly halved by 50%.
Recently, after the unlock in August, APT fell by 6.4%, dropping from over $5 to $4.74.
This is not market behavior; it is the project team suppressing the market to sell. Why? Because they hold the majority: the team and VC hold 51.02% of the total supply, and the foundation holds 16.5%.
The CEO once defended that the tokenomics is 'fair,' but the community reacted strongly - who believes that? History proves that each unlock is a signal to dump.
The truth about the bottom consolidation: the project team suppresses the market to sell, and once they finish selling, it will go to zero. You see APT often consolidating at the bottom, thinking it's gathering strength? Wrong! This is the project team 'stabilizing' the price, slowly releasing their tokens. After unlocking, the supply increases, but they’re not in a hurry to dump everything; instead, they match the market buying to maintain a facade of stability. Someone on X bluntly stated: 'APT=scam.'
So what’s the result? The coin's value is increasingly diluted - your APT quantity remains the same, but its value is diminished by new coins.
Once the project team has finished selling off their tokens (expected to be completed within a few years for the team/VC shares), there will be no support left.
In the end? Going to zero isn’t a dream.
