Bittensor-Rao is a proposal to change the way emission is distributed in Bittensor. It is still in proposal stage, but there are many questions. Here we will attempt to answer. This page will evolve as new information is revealed about the dtao proposal.

What is dtao?

Dtao is a propsal to further decentralize the Bittensor ecosystem. At it's most basic, dtao introduces tokens for each subnet. The tokens are named alphabetically in Greek (subnet1 = alpha, Subnet2 = beta, etc.), but are referred to in the generic sense as alpha. These tokens are traded with tao from the Bittensor chain.

Why alpha tokens?

Currently, subnet emission is determined by a small group of validators placing weight on the root subnet .

Active participants in the Bittensor network can show their support of a subnet by buying that alpha and staking their alpha on the subnet. The amount of alpha staked, and the exchange rate for the subnet will now play a role in determining the emission earned by the subnet.

How does emission change?

This is still a work in progress and is not finalized. But it appears that root/global staking will still play a role, and a balance between dtao and global staking will be established.

If you stake on Root

Staking today is "staking on root" in dtao. You place your tao on a validator, and earn proceeds based on the rewards of the validator.

• Pre-dtao, your rewards are in tao, and added back to your root wallet stake.
• dtao: Your root stake will never grow, but you will be rewarded with alpha in each subnet that the validator is active. You can then decide to hold your alpha (where proceeds will grow faster), or convert the alpha back to tao.

Staking on a Subnet

Staking on a subnet has the potential for greater rewards, but also comes with higher risk. Similar to root staking, you will stake to a validator on the subnet(s) of your choosing.

• Your alpha reward will be higher than staking on root - you will accumulate alpha faster.
• Should the subnet lose favor with the cmmunity, your alpha can lose value compared to tao.
• By staking alpha, you also gain global stake, earning small amounts of alpha on all other subnets that your validator is active on.

Reading material

The Dtao proposal (PDF format) - This is the original article describing the dtao proposal. The current dtao draws implementation from this article. A new version is in the works.

The Bittensor-Rao Discord channel. This is the best place to keep up to date on the dtao proposal.

Dtao emissions for stakeholders. A mathematical summary of how emission is distributed to validators.

dtao simulation Python simulation of stakeholder emissions

Understanding the CLI

Create Wallets & Register Subnets

btcli tables in Bittensor-Rao

Test it yourself

Deploy Bittensor-Rao chain on Ubuntu

Deploy a Bittensor-Rao Chain on a Mac

New Terms

Dtao Glossary