Aptos blockchain development booms, but APT dips 8% – Is THIS why?

• Developer activity and spot demand rise, but APT stays trapped in a multi-month range.
• Aptos’ Leverage and DEX volumes rebound, hinting at a potential breakout if confidence returns.

Developer momentum on the Aptos [APT] network has accelerated sharply, with daily smart contract deployments recently soaring past 450, marking a six-month high. 

Naturally, this uptick reflects growing developer confidence and renewed network activity.

Yet, APT has dropped 8.85% in the same period, slipping to $4.48 and nearing the bottom of its multi-month trading range.

Buyers dominate order books

The Spot Taker CVD remained firmly in buy-dominant territory, indicating that market participants continued to favor aggressive buying at press time. 

This trend suggests growing conviction among spot traders, even as the price consolidates near its multi-month lows. 

However, despite that pressure, price action hasn’t followed suit, revealing a key disconnect between demand and result. If buying continues without a breakout, it could either set up a breakout rally or exhaust bulls prematurely.

Source: CryptoQuant

RSI dives as APT dances on critical support

APT trended near the lower bound of its long-standing range between $4.2 and $7 at the time of writing, with the daily RSI falling to 38.46.

These conditions place the token in oversold territory, often a precursor to local rebounds. However, this support level has been tested multiple times without a sustained rally, raising the risk of breakdown. 

If bulls defend the zone again, it could attract speculative interest in the short term. But failure to bounce decisively may lead to a retest of lower liquidity zones below $4.

Source: TradingView

APT’s derivatives market has shown a noticeable rebound, with Open Interest jumping 11.78% to $181.92M and trading volume rising 5.26% to $305.97M.

This uptick suggests that traders are regaining confidence and re-entering the market with increased leverage exposure. Such a shift often signals expectations of incoming volatility or directional movement.

Can rising DEX volume save the day?

On-chain data tells two very different stories. On one hand, the Total Value Locked (TVL) has dropped by 5.98% to $1.443 billion, signaling some capital outflows from long-term protocols. 

At the same time, DEX activity has exploded, with 24-hour volume hitting $165.7 million and weekly volume rising by over 26%.

This jump shows that short-term speculation and trading activity are heating up. 

Therefore, while long-term yield participation weakens, active liquidity remains vibrant, offering potential fuel for a near-term recovery—if broader market confidence returns.

Source: DefiLlama

Aptos is gaining developer and trader momentum, but the price still lags. Bulls must reclaim the $5–$5.5 zone to break free.

Until then, increased leverage, spot demand, and DEX flows may keep things active, but without broader conviction, a lasting reversal remains out of reach.