Aptos announced a tokenomics overhaul on February 18, 2026, introducing a 2.1 billion APT hard cap, permanently locking 210 million APT by the foundation, and tying future emissions to performance KPIs for a deflationary shift.
Key changes include slashing staking rewards from 5.19% to 2.6%, ending investor unlocks by 2026 to cut supply growth 60% year-over-year, and raising gas fees 10x (still cheap) with 100% burned in APT to exceed emissions via burns.
Amid $APT price decline to around $0.88 by February 23, community reactions mix optimism for long-term sustainability with criticism over past team allocations, as governance proposals open for vote.
