Aptos @Aptos is taking off again, and this time it's at an institutional level! July 10, 2025, New York. After years of navigating the blockchain space, I've seen many public chain projects that "explode in bull markets and disappear in bear markets," but lately, I can't help but take Aptos more seriously. Aptos Labs @AptosLabs has made another big move—appointing Solomon Tesfaye as Chief Business Officer (CBO). This guy is no newcomer; he was previously steering the capital markets business at Aptos. His rapid promotion clearly indicates that they want him to lead Aptos into the deep waters of institutional engagement. Institutional onboarding? Don't laugh, Aptos is really making waves. As of now, Aptos has already onboarded over $540 million in real-world assets (RWA) on-chain. Note that this is not just "TVL hype"; it's real asset tokenization. Moreover, since the beginning of 2025, Aptos's "institutional integration volume" has doubled, indicating that more and more large institutions are starting to treat this chain as a serious infrastructure. With U.S. regulations becoming clearer, Aptos has clearly sensed an opportunity: to leverage the compliance wave and guide on-chain financial applications towards a more "formal" direction. Solomon's appointment is aimed at opening up this high-threshold pathway. Who exactly is Solomon? Don't underestimate this new CBO. His track record includes several keywords you might recognize: BlackRock Franklin Templeton Apollo Solomon previously led Aptos's engagement with these giants, pushing the RWA strategy, and directly participated in launching ETF products in Europe and the U.S., utilizing Aptos's technological capabilities. In other words, he has been operating Aptos as a "trading engine" and has successfully established a "highway" between the financial world and the blockchain space. What does Old Cha think? I believe this move has several key significances: RWA is no longer just talk; Aptos is making real progress. $540 million is not the endpoint but rather a "preliminary battle." Solomon's addition is aimed at reaching the trillion-dollar asset level. With U.S. regulatory direction becoming clearer, Aptos is seizing the high ground. Don't forget, Circle and Franklin are also rumored to be taking new actions in tokenized funds, and Aptos is placing the most resourceful person in the most critical position at the most opportune time. From being a "tech bull" to a "scenario bull," Aptos is addressing its commercial shortcomings. Previously, Aptos was seen as strong in technology but weak in ecosystem; now it is actively bringing in large institutions in payments, trading, and asset management, making the "chain" no longer lonely. In conclusion, Aptos's move is not about making quick money; it aims to be the chain for "new financial infrastructure." Solomon's appointment signals to the market: Aptos is serious and is tying itself to the upgrade of global financial infrastructure. If you still see Aptos as just a "speculative project," you may have already missed its true starting point in making a push into the institutional deep waters. This is not a fantasy of Web3; this is the reality of Web2+ finance. $APT could become the "Ethereum alternative" of the RWA era.