• Aptos extends gains above $1 on Thursday, testing a key resistance trendline breakout.
• Aptos partners with OKX Agent Payments Protocol to expand the agentic economy to full-scale commerce.
• Derivatives market activity reflects a lack of confidence among traders, which could flip the near-term recovery.

Aptos (APT) trades above $1.00 at press time on Thursday, extending gains after a 2% jump the previous day. The recovery aligns with the Aptos and OKX partnership in the Agent Payments Protocol, enabling full-scale commerce features in the agentic economy. Aptos should hold a daily close above $1.00 for a sustained recovery to the 100-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at $1.17.

Aptos expands AI agent payments features with OKX's new protocol

OKX launched the Agent Payments Protocol on Wednesday, with Aptos as the Day 1 partner, a move to bring features such as quote drafting, specialist hiring, fund escrow, and dispute resolution to the current agent-based payments landscape. The protocol will enable complete operational and communication capabilities between agents, supporting multiple payment options. OKX plans to enable interoperability between every major blockchain with its open protocol, which could make it a new standard for agent commerce.

Aptos struggles to regain retail interest

Aptos is struggling to regain retail strength despite the short-term recovery. CoinGlass data shows the Aptos Open Interest (OI) is down over 4% in the last 24 hours to $108.14 million, indicating a decline in the value of open contracts as traders lose risk appetite. Meanwhile, the funding rate, which has been fluctuating slightly above the zero line, continues to reflect a lack of traders' interest.

Technical outlook: Will Aptos extend its rally above $1?

Aptos tests a downward resistance trendline around $1.0124 and holds above the 50-day EMA near $0.9640. However, the AI token remains capped by the 100-day and 200-day EMAs at $1.171 and $1.827, respectively, keeping the broader bias bearish despite the latest bounce.

Momentum is improving, with the Relative Strength Index (RSI) at 61 growing above the midline and the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) line holding above its signal line, suggesting buyers still have the upper hand in the short term as long as price stays above the reclaimed trendline area.

A decisive close above $1.00 could target the initial resistance at the 100-day EMA around $1.171, with the longer-term 200-day EMA near $1.827 acting as the next significant cap if the recovery extends.

On the downside, immediate support is aligned with the 50-day EMA near $0.964. A loss of these levels would expose APT/USDT to a deeper pullback within the dominant bearish structure.

(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool.)