Recently, The Merge has been the most controversial topic in the crypto sector. Divided as the opinions are, one thing we can rest assured about The Merge is that it will not increase Ethereum transaction speed and capacity. In that context, Sui and Aptos have emerged as potential alternatives for Ethereum. Let's find out more about these two advanced layer 1 platforms with <a href="https://www.builder.news/" alt="Builder news" title="Builder news" target="_blank" rel="" class="">Builder.news</a>!&nbsp;<h2>What are Aptos and Sui?</h2>Both Aptos and Sui are new Layer-1 blockchains or smart contract platforms. This means that, like Ethereum, Solana, Avalanche, Fantom, and others, a range of different dApps (DEXes, wallets, games, and so on) can be built on top of them.Sui and Aptos both use a variant of the Move programming language, which was originally designed for Diem. While Aptos has stuck with the initial Move language, Sui has created their own "Sui Move." Diem was a blockchain project endorsed by Meta (Facebook) that was originally called Libra before being renamed Diem. Meta did test a wallet called Novi before selling it to the Silvergate crypto financial institution in January 2022.Diem is essentially no longer alive, but its most important creations, Move and the Move VM virtual machine, are open-source and can still be used by other projects.Developers can avoid many coding mistakes that can lead to exploits by using the extremely secure and effective language called Move. A secure setting for running smart contracts, Move VM serves as an alternative to Ethereum Virtual Machine.Sui and Aptos, in contrast to Diem, which was intended to be a permissioned network, are decentralized and permissionless, allowing anyone to join as a validator. They both share the same goal, which is to sign up the first billion blockchain users.&gt;&gt; Maybe you're also interested in:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.builder.news/crypto-insights/guide-to-evaluate-layer-1-platforms-dhANJ" alt="Blockchain's backbone to call Smart Contracts" title="Blockchain's backbone to call Smart Contracts" target="_blank" rel="" class="">Blockchain's backbone to call Smart Contracts</a><h2>A quick comparison</h2><table><tbody><tr><td data-colwidth="100" style="background-color: #f9cf2e;">Criteria</td><td style="background-color: #f9cf2e;">Aptos</td><td style="background-color: #f9cf2e;">Sui</td></tr><tr><td data-colwidth="100" style="background-color: [object Object];">Fund raised</td><td style="background-color: [object Object];">$350m</td><td style="background-color: [object Object];">$36m+$300m</td></tr><tr><td data-colwidth="100" style="background-color: [object Object];">Investors</td><td style="background-color: [object Object];">A16z, Multicoin, FTX Ventures, Jump crypto, Tiger Capital, Katie Haun, Circle Ventures, Parafi Capital, Templeton</td><td style="background-color: [object Object];">A16z, Redpoint, Coinbase Venture, Standard Crypto, Slow Ventures, Scribble Ventures, Samsung NEXT, Electric Capital, NFX</td></tr><tr><td data-colwidth="100" style="background-color: [object Object];">Language</td><td style="background-color: [object Object];">Move (original)</td><td style="background-color: [object Object];">Sui Move</td></tr><tr><td data-colwidth="100" style="background-color: [object Object];">Architecture &amp;consensus</td><td style="background-color: [object Object];">BFT, parallel execution</td><td style="background-color: [object Object];">DAG+BFT, parallel execution, no consensus for simple transactions</td></tr><tr><td data-colwidth="100" style="background-color: [object Object];">Transactions per second</td><td style="background-color: [object Object];">Up to 160,000 TPS</td><td style="background-color: [object Object];">Potentially Unlimited</td></tr><tr><td data-colwidth="100" style="background-color: [object Object];">Time to finality</td><td style="background-color: [object Object];">Less than 1 second</td><td style="background-color: [object Object];">Less than 1 second</td></tr><tr><td data-colwidth="100" style="background-color: [object Object];">Mainnet Launch</td><td style="background-color: [object Object];">Fall 2022</td><td style="background-color: [object Object];">To be announced</td></tr></tbody></table>&gt;&gt; Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.builder.news/crypto-insights/guide-to-evaluate-layer-1-platforms-dhANJ" alt="An Ultimate Guide To Evaluate Layer 1 Platforms" title="An Ultimate Guide To Evaluate Layer 1 Platforms" target="_blank" rel="" class="">An Ultimate Guide To Evaluate Layer 1 Platforms</a><h2>Architecture and consensus</h2><h3>Aptos</h3>Consensus is a technique that enables blockchain nodes (validators) to agree on the legitimacy of transactions and blocks. A consensus concept known as BFT, or Byzantine Fault Tolerance, is at the heart of both Aptos and Sui. Its central premise is that even if some (up to one-third) of the validators fail or become malicious, the network can continue to function normally.Aptos is based on HotStuff, a more advanced version of BFT consensus. Diem improved it to create DiemBFT, and Aptos managed to improve it further to create AptosBFT. Here is the summary:<ul><li>In HotStuff, a leader proposes a new block, and the remaining validators vote on it.</li><li>Because all validators interact with the leader, the total amount of messages sent out during each round is significantly lower than if the validators communicated with each other.</li><li>When everybody agrees that a block is valid, it becomes final — this quick finality is a major advantage of Aptos over other chains like BNB Chain, which takes 30 seconds, or Solana, which takes around 6 seconds.</li><li>The leader changes with each round of casting a vote, with a new leader chosen at random.</li><li>The leader can work on multiple blocks at the same time, which is known as pipelining.</li></ul>Aptos developed a system called Block-STM that can handle up to 160,000 transactions per second and is abbreviated as STM for "Software Transactional Memory." Simply put, transactions are first performed by the nodes concurrently, and only after that are they validated. A transaction may be disposed of or aborted at this point if there is a problem.As a result, if one operation cannot be validated, those that rely on it will also be re-executed. Block-STM also establishes the interconnections between transactions. All of the transactions in a block are then jointly committed to the blockchain once all of the conflicts have been remedied (aka lazy commit). Saving a lot of time and resources by not having to define the dependencies beforehand or run all the transactions sequentially Additionally, it scales well, which is why Aptos is thought to be the most scalable L1 chain.<h3>Sui</h3>Sui takes a bold approach, eliminating consensus for several transactions altogether. Simple transfers of tokens made by their owner to another address without affecting any other transactions are almost instantly confirmed. The transaction is broadcast, validators cast their votes, and a certificate of validity is given to the sender.For more complicated transactions involving so-called shared objects—assets that can be changed by more than one owner—Sui does use a more conventional BFT consensus (unlike tokens in a wallet). This holds true for a variety of smart contract interactions.With this strategy, Sui becomes an L1 for particular use cases where a dApp generates a large number of quick transactions, needs them to be confirmed quickly and cares less about decentralization.Sui, like Aptos, executes simple transactions without dependencies in parallel, whereas complex operations are carried out sequentially and in exact order.Sui's consensus engine is called Narwhal and Tusk. It was created by several developers at Mysten Labs and Aptos Labs, then its source code was made available, allowing any blockchain to incorporate it.The mempool module, called Narwhal, ensures that transaction data is accessible. Other consensus engines, like HotStuff or Cosmos' Ignite, can be used with it alone (without Tusk). Narwhal's architecture is that of a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG), in which its numerous components are connected by networks rather than chains.The consensus module called Tusk is in charge of organizing the transactions sent for consensus (for complex transactions).We won't delve too deeply into the technical aspects. The crucial aspect is that Tusk and Narwhal enable each validator to process more transactions in a given time unit. In case you were curious about the name, a narwhal is a 15-foot-long whale with a long tusk that resembles a unicorn.<h2>Performance</h2><h3>Aptos</h3>The blockchains of Sui and Aptos are incredibly strong, quick, and scalable. A speed test produced the result that Aptos can process 130,000 tps (transactions per second). Here is a summary of the technological advancements that enable such speeds, some of which we have already covered, including Block-STM, which can boost this to 160,000 TPS.<ul><li>Parallel transaction execution: if there is a validation issue, all dependent operations are re-executed simultaneously</li><li>State-sync: Using the state sync protocol, non-validator peers can synchronize and verify data across the blockchain</li><li>Lazy commit: bulk commit of all operations in a block</li><li>Collaborative scheduling: ensures that resources are used effectively when executing transactions.</li></ul>Although 160,000 TPS is the theoretical maximum, the sub-second finality is even more crucial. The TPS is not what matters to the end user; rather, it's how quickly their transaction is completed. In Solana, for instance, it takes six seconds, whereas in Aptos it takes less than a second.<h3>Sui</h3>Sui's performance goals are also intriguing; according to the team, their TPS may be "infinite." Sui nodes, also known as authorities, can continue to add workers, which are essentially secondary nodes, to build a mini-network and carry out more transactions as the network load increases.A single node operating on a Macbook Pro with 8 cores handled 120.000 transactions per second in a recent test. The type of transactions, however, has a significant impact on the outcome; in this test, a user sent tokens using a single signature to 100 different addresses (accounts). The same node was limited to 20,000 TPS when sending transfers one at a time to the same recipient. Sui's consensus model, which doesn't require a consensus at the global level for simple transactions, is what allows for horizontal scaling (as explained).Finality is also sub-second because it rarely requires consensus. Sui and Aptos have a comparable time to finality in this regard. However, this is unlikely to matter for a while since it will take the mainnets some time to reach enough users to produce thousands of transactions per second. A good example is Solana, which handles over 2000 transactions per second, but only about 200 to 300 of those are actual user transactions because up to 90% of those are validator votes.<h2>Ecosystem</h2><h3>Aptos</h3><h4>Wallet</h4>Pontem Network blockchain studio has already created a working Aptos wallet. It was recently added to Chrome, users of other browsers can get the wallet extension in.zip format from GitHub.What truly distinguishes Pontem Wallet is its ability to directly combine multiple DeFi features. Instead of connecting the wallet to a DEX, you'll be able to swap tokens straightforwardly in the wallet. Aptos is also considering creating features like liquid staking and DeFi plug-ins for liquid staking derivatives in the near future.<h4>DEX</h4>Pontem Network also created the first Aptos blockchain AMM. It's known as Liquidswap, and it's already operational on DevNet. You can use Pontem Wallet to link to the DEX and make swaps with APTOS, BTC, and USDT without any risk.<img src="https://cdn.builder.news/news/11ed37cbef371213a8e6023f659fee92.jpg" alt="Aptos liquid swap" title="Aptos liquid swap" width="600" height="315"><h4>Lending and borrowing</h4>The first lending and borrowing protocol on Aptos is Vial. Based on the supply and demand proportion in the pools, the interest rate is calculated algorithmically. APTOS, wrapped BTC, and USDC is all available for lending or borrowing on the testnet, of course. The current lending APY is 8%, but borrowing currently costs 10% (annualized). A faucet on Vial can be used to obtain free testnet BTC and USDC.<h4>NFT</h4>On the Aptos testnet, there are already more than 20 NFT collections. They are listed on Topaz, which is currently the only Aptos NFT marketplace. Topaz has a launchpad on the way and is integrated with the Martian wallet.<img src="https://cdn.builder.news/news/11ed37cbef371c0ca8e6023f659fee92.jpg" alt="Topaz Aptos NFT marketplace" title="Topaz Aptos NFT marketplace" width="600" height="333">The most well-known NFT collection is Aptos Names, which is essentially a database of metaverse domain names.The goal is to create a single identifier for the metaverse by connecting lengthy crypto addresses and other blockchain assets to human-readable addresses like buildernews.aptos or crypto.aptos. The Ethereum Name Service (ENS) is the most well-known example, but other chains are now acquiring their own name services.<h3>Sui</h3><h4>Wallet</h4>Sui released its own Chrome wallet extension - Sui Wallet - in July, allowing users to create Sui addresses, send testnet tokens and NFTs, and connect to a demo dApp that mints NFTs. The team doesn't anticipate the wallet to take the place of the ecosystem's "official" wallet because its purpose is to demonstrate to other developers what can be done with Sui.<h4>DEX</h4>MoveEx is the most notable DEX on Sui. The goal of MovEX, a community-driven organization, is to give Sui users and project developers the best possible trading and liquidity provisioning experiences. The main offerings of MovEX are&nbsp;<ul><li>A concentrated liquidity AMM + order book hybrid liquidity Decentralized Exchange (DEX);&nbsp;</li><li>An Intelligent Liquidity Allocation service, which constantly adapts liquidity to enhance capital performance and market-making returns</li><li>An ILO (initial liquidity offering) service for project developers, which offers tailored token launch options to maximize raised funds.</li></ul><img src="https://cdn.builder.news/news/11ed37cbef3722cea8e6023f659fee92.jpg" alt="Movex exchange on SUI" title="Movex exchange on SUI" width="600" height="338"><h4>NFT and Lending&nbsp;</h4>As of the time of writing, there are no official launches of NFT and lending protocols on Sui.<h2>Founder and backers</h2><h3>Aptos</h3>Aptos Labs, led by two former Diem executives, presents the Aptos blockchain:<ul><li>Mo Shaikh — an experienced founder and expert on business scaling, he led the Novi (Meta) strategic partnerships division and even appeared at the World Economic Forum in Davos as speaker.</li><li>Avery Ching, CTO, is a former Novi principal software engineer who previously worked at Facebook and Yahoo.</li></ul>Aptos raised $150m in July 2022 from investors including FTX Ventures, a16z, Jump Crypto, and Multicoin Capital. This comes after a $200m funding round in March, in which a16z and Multicoin also took part, along with Tiger Capital, Katie Haun, and others.<h3>Sui</h3>Sui was developed by Mysten Labs, which is also based in California. Four former Meta/Novi team members are prominen figures on the team:<ul><li>Evan Cheng, CEO -previously R&amp;D director at Novi</li><li>Adeniyi Abiodun, CPO (Chief Product Officer) - previously Novi's Product Lead and VMware's Head of Product;</li><li>CTO Sam Blackshear was previously a Principal Engineer at Novi.</li><li>George Danezis, Chief Scientist- a prof of Security and Privacy Technology at University College London and a former Facebook/Novi research analyst.</li></ul>Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Redpoint, Coinbase Ventures, and Electric Capital are among the investors in Mysten Labs. It received $36m in Series A funding in December 2021. Sui raised $300m in Series B funding on September 9th. The new funding puts the company's value at more than $2b. FTX Ventures led the Series B round along with other famous venture capitals.Bottom linesTo sum up, Sui and Aptos both have their own comparative advantages. Both have very high TPS numbers and the ability to scale further. While Aptos has proven itself somehow with its ecosystem, Sui has also shown its attraction following the recent $300m series B round.As of September 10, there is currently no way to purchase or obtain Aptos' or Sui's tokens anywhere. When the mainnets for the two chains launch, the corresponding tokens should be made available, but as of right now, there is no information available about a token sale, distributions, exchanges, etc. Even the Aptos Incentivized Testnet participants who have already accrued rewards must wait until the mainnet launch in order to receive them.<div class="pr-block-special">Disclaimer: This article is intended for and only to be used for reference purposes only. No such information provided constitutes advice or a recommendation that any investment or trading strategy is suitable for any specific name.</div>

Sui and Aptos have emerged as potential alternatives for Ethereum while the Merge cannot improve the Ethereum transaction speed and capacity.

Aptos versus Sui: A Deep Comparison