Bitwise Asset Management has officially filed an S-1 registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for an Aptos (APT) exchange-traded fund (ETF), marking the first such application for the altcoin in the United States. CEO Hunter Horsley confirmed the filing in an X post, stating, "We have submitted our S-1 filing for the Aptos ETF. Due to the quiet period, I cannot share further details, but we are excited about the momentum in the Aptos ecosystem." The S-1 is a formal step required by the SEC for new securities, and approval could take several months or longer, with the SEC reviewing factors like market risk and investor protection.
The filing, dated October 2025, builds on initial regulatory steps taken in March 2025. Within hours of the announcement, Aptos price surged from $4.63 to a high of $5.65, settling around $5.52, while trading volumes exceeded $3.98 billion, a three-month high for both metrics. This momentum is supported by Aptos Labs CEO Avery Ching's involvement in the CFTC's Digital Assets Global Markets Advisory Committee subcommittee, which could aid regulatory discussions for the ETF.
Bitwise already lists a similar Aptos ETF on the SIX Swiss Exchange, indicating growing institutional confidence. Horsley highlighted Aptos' appeal to institutions due to its speed and cost efficiency, noting that the blockchain led development activities among new entrants by over 897%. In May 2024, Aptos set a record with 115.4 million daily transactions, surpassing Solana's 31.7 million, and it ranks as the fourth-largest layer-1 by native USDT circulation, with over $30 billion in volume and approximately $830 million in net circulation. Additionally, BlackRock expanded its $2 billion BUIDL fund to include Aptos in November 2024, further validating its ecosystem growth.
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