Aptos has rolled out a major tokenomics revision centered on a 2.1 billion APT hard cap, lower staking rewards, and a fee model that burns 100% of gas fees. The update moves the network away from a subsidy-led structure and ties token supply more closely to actual on-chain activity.
Governance approves a hard cap and foundation lockup
Token holders approved the 2.1 billion APT supply ceiling through governance. Before this change, Aptos operated without a fixed issuance cap, a setup that had fueled inflation concerns among some participants. With the new rule in place, future token creation now faces a defined limit.
Aptos also said the Aptos Foundation will permanently lock 210 million APT. Those tokens will remain staked and will not enter circulation. The project said the locked amount equals roughly 18% of circulating supply and 37% of the Foundation’s allocation.
That leaves about 904 million APT available for future distribution. The supply tightening arrives as the network approaches the end of its four-year unlock cycle in October 2026.
Staking yield falls to 2.6% as emissions are reduced
Aptos will cut the annual staking reward rate from about 5.19% to 2.6%. The change lowers new token issuance to validators and delegators. Emissions slow down. The network’s reward structure shifts at the same time.
The project also plans to introduce a staking framework that favors longer commitments. Participants who lock tokens for longer periods may receive higher yields, while shorter-term staking will track the lower base rate more closely. No additional implementation details were included in the material.
Gas fees rise 10x, with all fees burned
Aptos plans to raise gas fees by 10x, though it said the average fee would still remain near $0.00014. The increase is large in relative terms, but the stated absolute cost remains small.
The more material shift is that 100% of gas fees will be burned, permanently removing APT from circulation. Aptos said this connects token burns directly to network usage: more on-chain activity means more APT destroyed through fees. Based on network usage, Decibel estimates that annual burns could exceed 32 million APT.
Aptos added that burns could eventually move above new issuance if activity and transaction volumes stay high. In that scenario, validators would rely more on transaction fees over time instead of fixed token emissions.