DECIBEL vs SHELBY

Two projects are redefining what’s possible on @Aptos.

@shelbyserves is decentralized hot storage built by @AptosLabs and @jump_ .
@DecibelTrade is an onchain trading engine built to unify spot, perps, and margin.

Both are infrastructure projects. But they represent different bets.

Shelby is the Data Layer Web3 Never Had

Shelby is not about storing your vacation photos. It’s about giving crypto developers fast, verifiable access to massive datasets streaming, AI, real-time games, messaging, creator media. The core innovation is paid reads on decentralized infrastructure. And it’s built with the kind of high-throughput guarantees you’d expect from Jump.

• Hot storage with low-latency reads
• Incentive-aligned with micropayments
• Web2 performance, Web3 ownership

Decibel is What Onchain Trading Always Promised

Decibel is a full-stack DEX engine: perps, spot, vaults, lending all in one place. It's composable, low-latency, and built for sub-second trading. With parallel execution and onchain CLOBs, it might be the first DeFi platform that can actually go toe-to-toe with CEXs.

• <20ms blocks via Raptr
• Unified margin and cross-asset collateral
• Native integrations across Aptos, Ethereum, and Solana using X-Accounts.
• Auditable order matching with programmable liquidity

Which will People Connect with?

From a user perspective, Decibel is easier to relate to. Traders understand latency. They feel the spread. They know what gas fees are. And when they see a CEX-like experience without giving up ownership they connect.

Shelby on the other hand, sits deeper in the stack. It’s for devs building the next wave of performant apps. It wins if teams use it. It scales if protocols integrate it. It shines when data needs to move fast, trustlessly.

In terms of narrative, I will say Decibel leads. It’s easier to market. Easier to demo. And easier to compare directly with CEX experiences that users are already familiar with but in terms of underlying value to the ecosystem, Shelby might be the real unlock. The infrastructure it brings if widely adopted could support an entire new generation of apps that no other L1 can handle right now.

Which do you think will be the @Aptos Breakout Application?⬇️