Most people who hold Aptos (APT) tokens face a tough choice: lock them up to earn staking rewards, or keep them liquid to trade or use in DeFi-but never both. That’s where Amnis Staked Aptos Coin (STAPT) comes in. It’s not a new cryptocurrency. It’s not even a separate token you buy on an exchange. STAPT is a liquid staking derivative built on the Aptos blockchain that lets you earn rewards while keeping your assets usable. Think of it like getting interest on your savings account while still being able to write checks. Launched in 2023 and gaining serious traction by late 2024, Amnis Finance created STAPT to solve a real problem. On most blockchains, when you stake your coins, they’re locked. You can’t move them. You can’t lend them. You can’t use them in decentralized exchanges or lending platforms. STAPT changes that. It gives you a tokenized version of your staked APT that grows in value over time. Here’s how it works, step by step. First, you take your native APT tokens and stake them through the Amnis Finance platform. In return, you get amAPT-a 1:1 token that represents your staked APT. So if you stake 10 APT, you get 10 amAPT. Simple. But here’s where it gets smart. You can then convert your amAPT into STAPT by depositing it into the STAPT vault. Once you do, something interesting happens. The vault starts automatically compounding your staking rewards. Every time Aptos validators earn rewards from securing the network, Amnis mints new amAPT and adds it to the vault. That means each STAPT token you hold becomes worth slightly more amAPT over time. The exchange rate between STAPT and amAPT doesn’t stay flat-it rises. Let’s say you deposit 10 amAPT and get 10 STAPT. After a month, because of compounding, 1 STAPT might now be worth 1.005 amAPT. After six months, maybe 1.03. You didn’t get more STAPT tokens. But each one is now worth more. When you decide to cash out, you swap your STAPT back for amAPT-and then back to APT-and you end up with more than you originally staked. This is the same principle behind tokens like aUSDC on Aave or cDAI on Compound. But STAPT is built specifically for Aptos. And it’s working. As of December 2024, Amnis Finance had over $300 million locked in its protocol, with more than 188,000 active stakers. That’s not small change. It’s one of the biggest liquid staking solutions on Aptos. The yield isn’t just decent-it’s competitive. Depending on market conditions, STAPT offers between 8.55% and 9.72% annual percentage yield (APY). That’s higher than most traditional staking options on Aptos and beats many other liquid staking protocols across different blockchains. And here’s the kicker: Amnis Finance doesn’t charge any fees on the rewards you earn. No hidden cuts. No performance fees. Just pure compounding. But there’s a catch. If you want to withdraw your APT right away, you’ll pay a small fee. If you want to avoid that fee, you have to wait 14 days. That’s longer than some competitors, like Lido or EigenLayer, which offer instant unstaking on other chains. But for most people holding APT long-term, that’s not a dealbreaker. It’s a trade-off: lower liquidity for higher rewards and no fees. What makes STAPT even more powerful is how it works with the rest of the Aptos DeFi ecosystem. You don’t just hold STAPT in your wallet. You can use it. Deposit it into Aries Markets to borrow against it. Lend it on Meso Finance to earn even more yield. Swap it on decentralized exchanges. That’s the real advantage. While regular staking locks your assets, STAPT turns them into a DeFi asset. You’re not just earning staking rewards-you’re stacking yield on top of yield. Compare that to other liquid staking options. On Ethereum, you have Lido’s stETH. On Solana, you have Marinade’s mSOL. But on Aptos, STAPT is the leading player. It’s not just the biggest-it’s the most integrated. Amnis Finance has built deep partnerships with top DeFi protocols on Aptos, making STAPT the go-to liquid staking token for anyone serious about maximizing returns. The technology behind it is clean and efficient. Amnis uses a dual-token system: amAPT for representation, STAPT for compounding. This separation makes the system more transparent and easier to audit. It also allows developers to build tools that interact with either token based on user needs. If you’re just staking, you can stick with amAPT. If you want to earn more over time, you move to STAPT. There’s also a retroactive incentive program running. Amnis Finance has set aside 10 million $AMI tokens (their native governance token) to reward early adopters and active users. It’s not a giveaway-it’s a structured campaign to encourage long-term participation. If you’ve been staking since early 2024, you might already be eligible. So who is STAPT for? If you’re a trader who needs to move money fast, STAPT isn’t ideal. The 14-day wait for fee-free withdrawals is too slow. But if you’re holding APT as a long-term investment and want to make it work harder, STAPT is one of the best tools on the market. It’s especially good for people who already use Aptos DeFi apps. You’re not just staking-you’re building a yield stack. It’s also great for newcomers. The interface is simple. You connect your wallet (like Pontem, Nightly, or Martian), click “Stake,” enter your APT amount, and confirm. No complex settings. No confusing jargon. The platform guides you through each step. Even if you’ve never staked before, you can be earning rewards in under five minutes. There are risks, of course. The crypto market is volatile. If Aptos’ price drops sharply, your STAPT’s value in USD might fall-even if the token’s intrinsic value (in amAPT) keeps rising. Also, smart contracts can have bugs. But Amnis Finance’s code has been audited by multiple firms, and the protocol has operated without a single exploit since launch. The $300 million TVL is a strong signal that users trust it. And unlike some DeFi projects that promise 100% APY and vanish, Amnis Finance has stayed visible. They’ve expanded integrations, reported transparent metrics, and kept their rewards steady. That kind of consistency matters. If you’re holding APT and not using STAPT, you’re leaving money on the table. You’re choosing between earning rewards or using your assets. With STAPT, you don’t have to choose. You get both. It’s not magic. It’s mechanics. And those mechanics are working. The future of staking isn’t locking your coins. It’s making them work harder. And on Aptos, STAPT is leading the way.
What is Amnis Staked Aptos Coin (STAPT)? A Simple Guide to Liquid Staking on Aptos
