• Aptos Labs has partnered with Microsoft to expand global access to Web3.
• Developers building on the blockchain network will leverage Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service to streamline and scale dApps.
• Aptos price rose 18% to highs of $7.92 after the news.

Aptos Labs, a layer 1 blockchain launched in the aftermath of Meta’s discontinued Diem project, has announced a major partnership with Microsoft as it looks to expand its blockchain infrastructure across the Web3 space.

The Aptos token surged following the news, rising to highs of $7.92 with an uptick of 18% in early afternoon trading on Wednesday.

Aptos and Microsoft partner on AI initiative

On August 9, the Aptos team revealed via a press release that it would be tapping into Microsoft’s artificial intelligence (AI) expertise to accelerate global adoption of Web3.  

Aptos will use Microsoft’s infrastructure, including its Azure OpenAI Service to power new AI and blockchain based products tailored to make it easy for developers building on the platform to release revolutionary applications.

“Artificial Intelligence and blockchain technologies are quickly converging for one important reason: they are both generational breakthroughs that profoundly impact the evolution of the internet and shape society,” said Mo Shaikh, co-founder and CEO of Aptos Labs. He added:

“Together with Microsoft, our shared vision is to ensure that this technology is accessible to more people and organizations than ever before.”

Among the new AI-powered tools will be Aptos Assistant, a chatbot that is set to streamline access to information about the Aptos ecosystem. Aptos will also integrate its native programming language dubbed Move into Github’s AI-powered Copilot service.

Leveraging these tools, Aptos network developers will access useful data and resources necessary for the deployment of smart contracts and dApps.

“By fusing Aptos Labs’ technology with the Microsoft Azure Open AI Service capabilities, we aim to democratize the use of blockchain enabling users to seamlessly onboard to Web3 and innovators to develop new exciting decentralized applications using AI,” said Rashmi Misra, the General Manager, AI & Emerging Technologies at Microsoft.

Aptos’ partnership with Microsoft comes amid increased integration of AI technology across the blockchain space. The strong AI narrative driven by huge forecasts in the mainstream tech sector have also seen new crypto projects looking to leverage the technology emerge.