Aptos is a layer 1 blockchain aiming to build a decentralized network and ecosystem of developers. Aptos uses a combination of parallel execution and low latency design to scale transactions for their users. dApp developers on Aptos use the Move language.
Since Aptos doesn’t use the Ethereum Virtual Machine and has a different design than Solana, you’ll need specific wallets to interact with Aptos. In this article, we’ll look at how you can connect to Aptos and introduce you to some dApps you can use on the Aptos blockchain.
Use Pontem Wallet To Connect To Aptos
There are a variety of wallets you can use to connect to Aptos, but in this article, we’ll look at Pontem. Pontem is easy to use, and the wallet design makes it easy to execute swaps and deposits from inside the wallet.
Start by going to your browser’s addon store and searching for Pontem. Download the addon and add it to your browser.
With Pontem installed, click “Create wallet,” then enter a new password for your wallet. Keep this password in a safe place. Click “Finish” once you create your password.
Now that you’re in your wallet for the first time, click “resolve mnemonic” in your wallet under the address. This will take you to a page with your secret phrase, which you can use to restore your wallet on any device. Make sure you save your phrase and password in a safe place.
How Do You Bridge Funds To Aptos?
Now that you have Pontem set up, you can send some APT tokens to your wallet.
Using the official Aptos bridge is the easiest way to get money from EVM blockchains to Aptos. The Aptos bridge is integrated with Layer Zero, so there’s a good chance your bridge transactions will count toward the airdrop.
https://theaptosbridge.com/bridge
You can only bridge ETH from the Arbitrum blockchain to Aptos – you can use deBridge to get funds on Arbitrum if you need.
https://app.debridge.finance/r/11400
The first step when using the Aptos bridge is to connect both your EVM wallet (MetaMask or Phantom) and your Aptos wallet (Pontem) to the bridge. Click “connect wallets” in the top right corner on the Aptos bridge page.
With both wallets connected, enter how much you want to bridge.
Since this is your first time bridge to Aptos you’ll need APT tokens for gas – click the add button, click max on the screen that pops up, then click away from the pop-up. This will charge you an extra fee on Arbitrum, so you can receive some APT for gas. Without adding gas, you can bridge wETH to Aptos, but you’ll be unable to move it around.
Click transfer, approve the contracts, then confirm your transactions. Now, your ETH from Arbitrum is available on the Aptos blockchain as wETH.
Aptos Ecosystem dApps
Now that you have some funds on Aptos, you can start interacting with the Aptos ecosystem which will potentially get you listed for upcoming airdrops.
We already mentioned the Layer Zero airdrop – keep using the bridge to build volume and transaction count.
As one of the most popular wallets on Aptos, there’s speculation Pontem could do an airdrop. Use the swap feature inside the wallet to build volume and transaction count.
Once you bridge over to Aptos, you can use Liquid Swap to swap your wETH for other Layer Zero tokens such as BNB, OP, AVAX, USDC, etc. USDC is the best token for bridging since there’s plenty of liquidity on each pair.
You can also stake APT through the Potenm wallet. Pontem stakes your funds through Liquid Swap which is the leading DEX on Aptos. Interacting with the different functions offered by Pontem can get you labelled as an early user.
https://pontem.network/liquidswap
Interacting with different protocols in the Aptos ecosystem is an excellent way to increase your footprint. Try buying an Aptos domain before they get popular. You can resell popular domains for profit once activity on Aptos increases.
Another way to interact with the Aptos ecosystem is through quests offered by Flipside. Flipside is an on-chain data company that also offers quests that get people to start interacting with different on-chain ecosystems.
Flipside has multiple Aptos quests you can complete that will give you APT tokens as rewards. Once you’re on the Aptos quest page, connect your wallet and follow the steps to complete each task.
https://flipsidecrypto.xyz/earn/quests/aptos
How To Get Connected To The Aptos Ecosystem