Next-Gen Blockchains: Sui vs Aptos

Key Takeaways

• Sui and Aptos leverage the Move programming language, originally developed by Meta (formerly Facebook) for its Diem project​.
• Sui and Aptos are focused on expanding their ecosystems through key partnerships, technological advancements, and strong developer engagement. This includes collaborations with Google Cloud and other prominent tech players to support infrastructure and developer tools​.
• Aptos and Sui have both prioritised high throughput and low latency, making them strong contenders in the high-speed layer-one (L1) blockchain space.

Speed and Cost Comparison

Both Sui and Aptos are optimised for fast and cheap transactions. Compared to the likes of Ethereum they are significantly faster and cheaper. But in comparison to Solana and Ethereum Layer 2s from the retail perspective they are had to differentiate. For most, the experience of using Aptos and Sui is nearly identical.

Sui leverages parallel execution to enhance scalability and speed, making it a highly efficient platform for high-demand applications. Meanwhile, Aptos prioritises a simplified approach to smart contract execution while maintaining speed and low costs, aiming to appeal to developers seeking a straightforward platform for launching decentralised applications (dapps).

Active Address and TVL Comparison

When it comes to user activity and total value locked (TVL), Sui has seen remarkable growth since its launch. As of September 2024, according to Artemis, Sui surpassed 1 million daily active addresses (DAA) and broke into the top 10 blockchains by TVL, according to DefiLlama, with over $1.84B ($1.2B USD) locked within its ecosystem​​. This increase in TVL indicates rising confidence among users and developers.

Meanwhile, Aptos, is still very competitive in estimated user numbers and is currently winning in TVL with $2.44B ($1.6B USD). These differences are fairly minimal, underscoring just how tight the competition currently is between Sui and Aptos.

Key Strengths for Sui

Sui stands out with its zkLogin feature, allowing users to log in using their existing social media accounts, such as Google or Facebook. This reduces onboarding friction, potentially driving mainstream adoption by making it easier for users to access dapps on Sui.

Another of Sui’s distinctive features is SuiPlay, an upcoming gaming platform designed to support high-performance web3 games with low latency. SuiPlay has already attracted pre-orders, highlighting the growing interest in the platform’s GameFi capabilities​​.

Proposed SuiPlay unit design

Key Strengths for Aptos

Aptos has carved out a niche by focusing on DeFi solutions and developer tools. Both Sui and Aptos utilise the Move programming language, developed by Meta (formerly Facebook), which is designed to be secure and efficient for smart contract development. Aptos has leaned towards building a versatile ecosystem that caters to decentralised financial services.

Aptos is pursuing a better user experience by including features like pre-signing transaction summaries, which are natively built into the blockchain itself. This differentiates Aptos from other blockchains where third-party wallets like MetaMask or Phantom often handle such features. By integrating this feature at the protocol level, Aptos enhances both security and transparency, ensuring users can confidently review transaction outcomes before signing them.

Biggest Challenge: Overcoming Solana’s Dominance

Despite their innovations, both Sui and Aptos face the formidable challenge of competing with Solana, the current leader in high-speed L1 blockchains. Solana’s ecosystem is well-established, and it continues to expand with upcoming upgrades like Firedancer, which promises to significantly boost its network capacity and reduce latency​​. Solana’s dominance in user activity and TVL metrics sets a high benchmark for new entrants like Sui and Aptos. The success of these emerging blockchains will depend heavily on their ability to carve out distinct niches, attract developer talent, and foster active user communities.

DAA since Jan. 1, 2024, demonstrating Solana’s dominance (Source: Artemis)

Conclusion

Sui and Aptos are two emerging L1 blockchains optimised for fast and cheap transactions. They differ in their approach to building ecosystems and onboarding users. Sui’s zkLogin and SuiPlay position it as a user-friendly platform with a strong gaming focus, while Aptos emphasises DeFi solutions and developer experience.

However, both face stiff competition from Solana, which remains well ahead of all of the other high-performance L1s across most adoption metrics. To succeed, Sui and Aptos must continue to innovate and differentiate themselves from their well-established rivals.