Those whispers were hushed at first, but soon became a storm. Aptos is currently asking for a dramatically reduced payout for staking rewards. While they say that it’s to promote “dynamic engagement,” I’m sorry but what’s behind this is something much deeper and nefarious. We’re really building a catalytic ecosystem, or are we just seeding the ground for digital neo-colonialism.
Is This A New Economic Land Grab?
Let's be blunt: the stated goal of shifting from passive staking to active participation sounds noble. After all, who wouldn’t want a more lively and enthusiastic community of allies and advocates? Peel back those layers, and an undercurrent of bias is revealed. Validators and token holders, often in the developing world, are left with the risk of ruinous outcomes.
Unfortunately, for decades, extractive industries have pillaged the continent’s vast resources. Local communities have reaped few benefits from this continued extraction. Are we starting to see a similar trend repeat in the blockchain ecosystem? Are these well-intentioned staking cuts just obfuscating a more insidious agenda behind the curtain? Instead, they appear to be consolidating power and wealth in the hands of a few—especially those with the financial resources and technological infrastructure to implement sophisticated “active” strategies such as MEV and data management.
Let me encourage you to ask who stands to gain from this change. Are we really doing this with the goal of empowering the most basic Aptos user? Or is its direction more about centralizing power with the existing gatekeepers, most of whom are Western-based? Remember the Berlin Conference? European nations splitting up Africa without caring what might happen to the inhabitants? This feels…familiar.
Africa's Validators: Collateral Damage?
I had the chance to chat with various smaller validators with a base in Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa. The fear is palpable. They’re already operating on razor-thin margins. An effective cut in staking rewards from ~ 7 % down to less than 4 %. That could be the death knell. One validator, based in Nairobi, told me plainly: "We'll be priced out. We simply can't compete with the big boys who have the resources to monetize node services and play the MEV game."
This isn’t merely a financial equation between profit and loss, this is an access and opportunity equation. Blockchain technology provides that level playing field. It gives people and communities — urban or rural, low-wealth or affluent — the tools to participate in the global financial system. Yet if we design systems that benefit the already-rich, we do a disservice to that aspiration.
Now fast forward to our hypothetical Kenyan farmer, who’s got all his Aptos tokens staked, maintaining a steady profit to provide for his family. Now picture that income getting cut in half because he can’t afford to take the leap into becoming a data infrastructure provider. Is that fair? Is that the future we wish to create?
Decentralization Or Digital Centralization?
The Aptos Foundation and Aptos Labs argue that this is about incentivizing active participation and ensuring the long-term health of the network. They explain further that it’s an important precondition for scaling in a sustainable way. But sustainable for whom? At what cost?
The encouragement to participate actively seems more of a greenwashing stunt than anything substantial. In practice, it requires a huge up-front investment of capital, deep technical expertise, and access to innovative infrastructure. These are the kinds of resources that are not equally shared.
We need to ask ourselves: are we truly decentralizing power, or are we simply shifting it from one group of gatekeepers to another? Are we on the verge of creating a new and more global and inclusive TTN? Or instead, have we only recreated the feudal system in a digital space, where a handful of monopolistic actors monopolize resources and knowledge.
More than judge the Aptos Foundation’s efforts on their merits, it’s time for the Aptos Foundation to step up and show a real commitment to inclusivity and equity. A strong delegation program, like those that have been put in place by most other successful blockchains, is essential. This kind of targeted support specifically for smaller validators in developing countries is key. A realignment of stake distribution, in favor of promoting the most active and varied node participation, is a must.
Without these measures, the Aptos staking cuts risk becoming a case study in unintended consequences. A well-intentioned proposal that inadvertently perpetuates historical patterns of economic exploitation.
Demand transparency and accountability from the Aptos Foundation. Help develop support for validators in Africa and other emerging markets. Let’s make sure that the future of blockchain isn’t economic colonialism 2.0, but true decentralization.
