Aptos has just implemented a very interesting change to its tokenomics. After approval from the holders, the project set a maximum limit of 2.1 billion APT — ending the unlimited issuance that had been raising concerns about inflation.

What caught my attention was the permanent lockup of 210 million tokens by the Foundation. These APT will be staked and out of circulation, representing 18% of the circulating supply. As a result, only about 904 million remain available for future distribution. Basically, Aptos has tightened the supply before the unlock cycle ends in October 2026.

But that's not all. Staking rewards have dropped from 5.19% to 2.6% — a move to control emissions while encouraging longer commitments. Larger lockups generate better yields, while short-term staking stays at the lower base rate. At the same time, gas fees have increased tenfold, but Aptos guarantees that the average remains close to $0.00014.

The important detail: 100% of gas fees are now burned. Estimates suggest that over 32 million APT could be removed from circulation annually. This directly links burning to network activity — the more transactions, the more tokens exit circulation.

The new model changes the game. Instead of fixed emissions, validators will increasingly depend on transaction fees. And if activity grows enough, burns could eventually surpass the issuance of new tokens. This aligns incentives with the actual demand of the network, not with subsidies. It’s worth keeping an eye on how this impacts the ecosystem in the coming months.