Aptos Pivots Tokenomics Towards Performance-Driven Deflation

Layer 1 blockchain Aptos is proposing a major shift in its tokenomics, intended to reward long-term stakers and use transaction fees to fund token buybacks, as the APT token continues to hit new lows.

The team posted the update on X today, stating that “The Aptos network is transitioning to performance-driven tokenomics designed to align supply mechanics with network utilization.”

Through this update, Aptos aims to transition from its high-inflation, subsidy-based model to a deflationary, revenue-driven supply. The update proposes a hard cap of 2.1 billion APT, and the Aptos Foundation will permanently lock 210 million APT, worth $180 million, and use staking rewards to support network operations rather than token sales.

The update also calls for a tenfold increase in gas fees, claiming that even after this increase, network fees would “still be the lowest in the world at around $0.00014.” The increased fees are expected to boost the amount of APT purchased and burned through the programmatic buyback program.

Aptos also proposes to drop the staking reward rate by 50% from 5.19% to 2.6%. This decrease is expected to be paired with a future governance proposal that would offer higher reward rates to users who commit to longer staking terms, whereas short-term stakers would be subject to the 2.6% rate.

APT has had a rough year, falling 87% from 6.31 to $0.86 since February 2025, and 95% from its all-time high of $19.92 in 2023.

Despite the token’s poor performance, Aptos is DeFi’s tenth-largest blockchain by stablecoin market capitalization, with $1.4 billion in total value, and is ranked eleventh by stablecoin transaction volume, with $587 billion, according to Artemis Terminal.