Key Highlights:
- Aptos Foundation plans to slash staking rewards from 5.19% to 2.6% and bring in a 2.1B APT hard cap.
- The Foundation will lock and permanently stake 210 million APT, while raising gas fees 10x.
- Future grants will follow KPI-based vesting, and Aptos will explore buyback.
Aptos Foundation has proposed a tokenomics change that reshapes emissions, staking rewards, supply limits, and grant structures. The new plan lowers staking rewards, increases gas fees, places a hard limit, and locks tokens in possession. It also connects performance targets in the future grants and discusses a buyback mechanism.
Staking Cuts, Gas Fee Increase, and Hard Supply Cap
According to a detailed post on X, Aptos Foundation plans to start a governance proposal to reduce staking rewards from 5.19% to 2.6%. The amendment is based on a previous modification of AIP-119 and is intended to balance emissions to network maturity. Another area pursued by the Foundation is a new staking system with better rates on more committed terms. However, total reward would be within the smaller total emissions target, while AIP-139 aims at decreasing the validator hardware costs.
— Aptos (@Aptos) February 18, 2026
The Foundation will also propose a 10x increase in gas fees through governance. All transaction fees on Aptos are paid in APT and burned permanently. Even after the increase, stablecoin transfers would cost around $0.00014. The Foundation states that higher throughput from new applications will raise the total APT burned annually. Decibel, a fully on-chain decentralized exchange, will control every order, match, and cancel on-chain.
Additionally, Aptos Foundation will propose a protocol-level hard cap of 2.1 billion APT. There are currently 1.196 billion APT in circulation. One billion APT was minted at mainnet, and 196 million APT have been distributed as staking rewards. The hard cap leaves 904 million APT available before reaching the ceiling. The Foundation expects burns to outpace emissions before the cap is reached.
Aptos Foundation Lock, KPI-Linked Grants, and Buyback Exploration
Aptos Foundation will permanently lock and stake 210 million APT. The Foundation states these tokens “would never be sold or distributed and are permanently locked.” This amount represents nearly 18% of the current circulating supply. It also accounts for about 37% of the Foundation’s original mainnet allocation. The Foundation will fund operations through staking rewards from these tokens rather than treasury sales.
The Foundation will shift future grants toward performance-triggered distributions. New grants tied to the global trading engine will vest only after recipients meet defined KPIs. The Foundation states, “If KPIs are not met, token grants are deferred, not cancelled.” This structure links token issuance to measurable network outcomes. The Foundation will release further details alongside formal governance proposals.
The Foundation has also committed to exploring a programmatic buyback program or reserve. Following this, the program could re-acquire available APT on the open market. This would fund buybacks using cash on hand or future revenue. Aptos confirms that revenue sources may include licensing, investments, and other related activities. The Foundation described this as part of a strategy toward deflationary supply mechanics.
