Kaito AI's latest move signals a major pivot in their creator economy strategy. The team is phasing out Yaps and the incentivized leaderboard system, shifting focus toward Kaito Studio—a more structured approach to creator partnerships.

Under the new model, brands connect directly with creators who meet specific performance and audience criteria. Rather than open-ended engagement metrics, partnerships now operate within clearly defined scopes and deliverables. This resembles traditional influencer marketing frameworks but layered with Web3 dynamics and AI-powered creator matching.

The transition reflects a maturing market where quality-filtered creator relationships outweigh pure gamification. It's a calculated pivot: trading viral-at-any-cost mechanics for sustainable, measurable brand-creator alignment. Whether this consolidation strengthens creator retention or fragments the community remains to be seen.