X Platform Tightens API Rules on Reward-Based Posting

A major shift is underway on X. The platform's product team has announced stricter API guidelines that will ban applications designed to reward users for creating posts on the network.

What's changing? Apps leveraging the "infofi" model—where users earn tokens or rewards simply for posting—are being phased out. The reasoning is straightforward: these mechanisms have flooded the platform with low-quality AI-generated content and repetitive reply spam, degrading the user experience across the board.

This move reflects growing frustration with the quality erosion on social platforms. While reward-based posting initially seemed like an innovative way to incentivize engagement, the execution revealed a critical flaw: it attracted spam bots and algorithmic content farms more than genuine users.

For the Web3 community, this policy shift carries broader implications. It signals that platforms are becoming more selective about which crypto-native features they'll support natively. Developers building on X's API will need to pivot their models away from simple reward mechanics toward more sophisticated, value-driven applications.

The crackdown marks a turning point in how mainstream platforms handle crypto integration—stricter guardrails, higher quality standards.