Aptos has implemented a significant overhaul of its tokenomics model, introducing a hard cap of 2.1 billion APT tokens. This move marks a shift from inflation-heavy growth to a deflationary system aimed at ensuring long-term scarcity and sustainability. The Aptos Foundation has permanently locked and staked 210 million APT, equivalent to 18% of the circulating supply, to act as a burn while still generating staking rewards. Additionally, grants will now follow milestone-based vesting, releasing tokens only after proven progress. The overhaul also includes a reduction in annual staking rewards from 5.19% to 2.6%, effectively halving the issuance of new tokens and reducing inflationary pressure. Gas fees have been increased tenfold, with all fees permanently burned to reduce the circulating supply. This change ties token availability to network health and usage, creating a performance-driven model. Community governance played a crucial role, with Proposal #183 passing almost unanimously, reflecting strong confidence in the new model. Adoption drivers such as Decibel, Aptos' on-chain perpetuals DEX, are expected to contribute to the deflationary effect by burning significant amounts of APT annually. By April 2026, the circulating supply adjusted to 795–805 million APT, reflecting early burns and unlocks. Analysts view these changes as positioning Aptos as a sustainable and deflationary network, aligning token value with real demand and activity.