The Aptos Foundation is on a mission to bring decentralized technology to billions of people worldwide. As the organization driving the adoption and development of the Aptos Layer 1 blockchain, they’re contributing to the infrastructure for a new digital economy — one that is safe, scalable, and accessible.
In the first half of 2025 alone, the network’s stablecoin market cap grew 85.9% to $1.2 billion, and monthly active users remained above 10 million, cementing its position as a global trading engine.
But in the high-stakes world of Web3, high visibility attracts highly sophisticated adversaries. The Aptos Foundation, with a thriving ecosystem of more than 330 projects, is a prime target for attackers looking to exploit trust.
For Dudley Alan Grant, Security Lead at the Aptos Foundation, protecting the foundation’s work means more than just secure code. It means secure people.
After successfully partnering with Doppel for digital risk protection (DRP), the Aptos Foundation turned to Doppel’s human risk management (HRM).
The Aptos Foundation chose to double down on an AI-native platform for social engineering defense to fight ever-evolving threats.
A New Breed of Social Engineering Attacks
When Grant joined the Aptos Foundation, he brought a fresh perspective to the organization’s security posture. Among his first key initiatives was addressing a critical area for almost every fast-moving innovator: the human element.
“We’re seeing cybersecurity evolve into a sort of arms race. AI is making it easy for attackers to execute phishing campaigns that are more convincing and widespread than ever,” Grant explains. “I knew our training and security program was going to have to evolve fast, in order to keep pace.”
For the Aptos Foundation, the urgency wasn’t theoretical. The Web3 space faces a relentless barrage of social engineering attacks that have evolved far beyond typo-riddled emails.
Today’s social engineering attacks include:
- AI-Driven Phishing: “Now, anyone can ‘vibe code’ a phishing page,” Grant notes, describing how attackers use AI to generate convincing, context-aware campaigns in seconds.
- Long-Con Scams: Adversaries build trust over several weeks or months before striking, deploying attacks across domains, social media, SMS, voice, video, and paid advertising to encircle victims.
- Deepfakes & Voice Clones: Grant highlights the rise of video and voice attacks, noting that attackers can mimic trusted contacts with terrifying accuracy. “You can ask a deepfake to do a specific action, and it will,” Grant warns.
To defend against this, the Aptos Foundation needed a platform that could match the sophistication of the attackers without slowing its workforce.
Why Doppel? Shifting from Alerts to Action
The Aptos Foundation was already using Doppel to automate the takedown of external threats — fake domains, impersonators on X, and malicious Telegram bots. The success of that partnership set a high bar.
“I’ve used other services in the past. They’re great for domains, but not for Telegram, not for X,” Grant says. With Doppel, the results were different. “In less than three days, takedowns are completed. That’s amazing.”
When it came time to select a human risk management partner, this proven track record made Doppel the natural choice. But it wasn’t just about brand loyalty. Grant and the team at the Aptos Foundation were drawn to Doppel for the platform’s capabilities.
- AI-Native Simulations: Doppel’s ability to generate fake pages and simulate complex, multi-channel attacks across email, SMS, and other channels allows the Aptos Foundation to train employees against realistic scenarios rather than generic templates.
- Respect for Employee Time: “Let people feel like they’ve learned something. People shouldn’t feel like they’re punished,” Grant emphasizes. “Doppel’s approach avoids fatigue by being customizable and relevant.”
- Speed of Innovation: “What’s really stood out to me with Doppel is the ability to do all of these things that somebody once said would be a cool thing, and a few months later it’s a fully functioning feature,” Grant says.
Unified Social Engineering Defense Advantage
The Aptos Foundation is establishing a social engineering defense program that covers the entire attack lifecycle by consolidating digital risk protection and human risk management with Doppel.
- External Defense | Digital Risk Protection: Doppel’s AI agents scan domain registrars, social media, the dark web, and beyond to find and dismantle attacker infrastructure before it can be used.
- Internal Defense | Human Risk Management: Doppel’s simulations inoculate the Aptos workforce against the threats that slip through, using real-world intelligence to inform training scenarios.
“The advantage with Doppel is that the platform is excellent at both,” Grant says. “Google is good at both email and cloud storage, and Doppel is similar when it comes to DRP and HRM. We have trust in Doppel’s ability to commit to SLAs.”
Trust Through Technology
Security is a prerequisite for the Aptos Foundation’s mission of global adoption. By partnering with Doppel, the organization is ensuring that its builders, creators, and employees can work without fear of deception.
“We feel reassured that the Aptos Foundation has one of the strongest products available to actively take down the bad actors that are harming every organization’s security and brand reputation,” Grant concludes.
In an environment where reality itself is under siege, the Aptos Foundation is fighting back — protecting its code, community, and people with Doppel.
Get a demo with Doppel to see why the Aptos Foundation and top brands across industries trust our AI-native social engineering defense platform.