X cracks down on ‘InfoFi’ reward models, triggering sell-offs across crypto social tokens

X has moved to restrict a growing class of crypto-linked applications that reward users for posting or engaging on the platform, a policy shift that has already rippled through tokens tied to so-called “InfoFi” models.

On 15 January, X’s Head of Product, Nikita Bier, said the company had revised its developer API policies to prohibit apps that financially incentivize users to post content. 

According to Bier, the change was aimed at curbing the rise of automated replies, low-quality engagement, and AI-generated spam that had increasingly crowded timelines.

As part of the update, X has revoked API access from affected applications. This effectively cuts off the infrastructure many of these platforms rely on to track engagement and distribute rewards. 

Bier added that developers whose accounts were terminated could seek assistance transitioning their products to alternative platforms such as Threads or Bluesky, seen as a cheeky “go away” to the model.

Policy shift targets InfoFi reward-for-post mechanics

The decision directly affects projects built around compensating users with tokens, points, or other incentives for posting, replying, or amplifying content on X. 

These mechanics, often branded under the “InfoFi” or “attention finance” narrative, gained traction in 2025 as crypto projects experimented with monetizing social engagement and information flow.

However, critics have long argued that the model encouraged volume over quality, leading to bot activity and spam rather than meaningful participation. 

X’s policy change formalizes that stance, signalling that reward-driven posting is no longer compatible with its API ecosystem.

InfoFi-linked tokens see immediate downside pressure

CoinGecko sector heatmap showed widespread declines across several InfoFi tokens. As of this writing, the market cap had dropped by over 11% to around $367 million. 

The drop indicates that investors are reassessing exposure to projects reliant on X-based incentives rather than reacting to isolated project-specific news.

Kaito AI [KAITO], one of the most visible projects in the category, recorded a steep sell-off shortly after the policy update. It dropped by almost 16% to trade at around $0.57, with a spike in volume also recorded.

The on-chain indicators suggest heightened distribution during the move lower.

Cookie DAO [COOKIE] experienced a similar reaction. The token dropped sharply by over 13% to trade around $0.038. It also saw a volume spike, with over 17 million recorded as of this writing.

Platform risk comes into focus for crypto-social models

The episode highlights a recurring challenge for crypto projects built on centralized platforms: dependency risk. 

While InfoFi models aimed to tokenize attention and participation, many relied heavily on X for distribution, automation, and verification of engagement — leaving them exposed to sudden policy changes.

The announcement has triggered immediate reactions in crypto circles, with many calling it the “end of InfoFi” on X.

Final Thoughts

• X’s API policy update has exposed structural weaknesses in InfoFi-style crypto projects built around reward-for-post mechanics.
• The sharp reaction across related tokens underscores how quickly platform risk can translate into market pressure when core assumptions are challenged.