Aptos Foundation unveils tokenomics overhaul, halves staking rewards

The Aptos Foundation has outlined plans to revamp APT tokenomics, including cutting the annual staking reward rate to 2.6% from 5.19%, raising gas fees tenfold, and capping total supply at 2.1 billion APT, according to Wu Blockchain. The foundation also said it plans to permanently lock and stake 210 million APT, equal to about 18% of the current supply, and fund operations through staking rewards rather than token sales. Future ecosystem grants will be determined by whether performance metrics are met, while a buyback program funded by cash reserves and future revenue is also under review. The foundation said the initial four-year token unlock cycle is set to end in October, which is expected to reduce annual token unlock volume by 60%. It added the changes are aimed at lowering token issuance and increasing token burns, and APT could shift to a deflationary structure if the plan proceeds as proposed.