How to Send & Receive Hongbao with Aptos Connect

Aptos Labs is excited to kick off a fun and on-chain experience to celebrate Lunar New Year. Anyone can participate in a seamless and decentralized way — no complex wallets or seed phrases needed.

1. All you need is an Aptos Connect account to join in the festivities.
2. You can create and send Hongbao, receive Hongbao, or both.
3. Beyond gifting, this is also an engaging way to see unique Aptos features in action: Keyless and on-chain randomness.

Ready to join the fun? Here’s your full guide to sending and receiving Hongbao with Aptos Connect.

What is Hongbao?

Hongbao (or “red envelopes”) is a traditional way to gift money during Lunar New Year as a symbol of good fortune and prosperity. Now, with Aptos Connect, you can send and receive Hongbao on-chain, making the experience even more interactive and fun — on a global scale.

How to Create & Send Hongbao

1. Create an Aptos Connect account if you don’t already have one.
2. If you don’t have coins for your Hongbao yet, fund your Connect account by clicking ‘Deposit’, which allows you to transfer existing coins from a centralized exchange, or “Buy”, which allows you to purchase new coins.
3. Click the “Create Hongbao” button.
4. Set the total amount of tokens you want to distribute (any Aptos-supported token). For ex: $500.
5. Set the total quantity of Hongbaos you want to distribute. For ex: $500 spread across 20 Hongbaos.
6. Add a personalized message (e.g., “Wishing everyone good fortune!”).
7. Click the “Generate” button (no gas fees through Jan 31, 13:00 UTC).
8. Share your Hongbao link with your friends and community. Note that anyone who has this link will be able to claim a gift.
9. Recipients will receive a randomized amount in each Hongbao.
10. If you lose track of your Hongbao link, you can go to your “Activity” tab and retrieve it.
11. You may reclaim or recall your Hongbaos at any time via your “Activity” tab.

How to Claim Hongbao

1. Create an Aptos Connect account if you don’t already have one.
2. Keep an eye out for Hongbaos from the Aptos ecosystem & community.
3. Open the Hongbao link to view the message and remaining gifts.
4. Important: Be sure the link takes you to Aptos Connect.
5. If there’s availability, click “Claim” to receive your gift.
6. See what’s inside your red envelope. It’ll be a randomized amount.
7. Swap your coins into stablecoins or memecoins/emojicoins at any Aptos DEX.
8. Continue spreading joy, by creating your own Hongbao to share.

Unique Aptos Features in Action

This isn’t just about gifting — it’s an opportunity to engage with Aptos’ advanced blockchain technology in an interactive and hands-on way. Here’s what powering the on-chain Hongbaos:

Aptos Keyless: One of the biggest challenges is the expectation of users to manage private keys, which can be cumbersome and error-prone. Aptos Keyless eliminates the need for traditional private keys, offering a more user-friendly alternative through familiar Web2 social sign-ins like Google and Apple—simplifying the user experience and creating a smooth onboarding process across all Aptos apps.

Randomness API: The Aptos Randomness API (Aptos Roll) provides developers with secure, instant, and unbiased randomness on-chain. This is what powers the randomized Hongbao distributions, ensuring each recipient gets a unique amount. This same technology is being used in decentralized games, lotteries, and NFT distributions, making Aptos a leader in scalable, fair, and transparent blockchain experiences.

These innovations underscore Aptos’ readiness for mainstream adoption — bridging the gap between Web3 and everyday users. With instant transactions and user-friendly features that match the ease of Web2, Aptos is transforming digital asset movement. Whether sending Hongbao, making payments, or interacting with decentralized apps, Aptos sets a new benchmark for open finance. Money truly moves better on Aptos.