⛏️ Guide· 5 min read

How to mine on Bittensor

In short

Mining on Bittensor means doing real work for a subnet (running an AI, renting out a GPU, producing forecasts), not computing hashes.
You pay an entry price in TAO to get a slot; it is not refunded.
The best miners share 41% of the subnet's rewards; the weakest can lose their slot.

On Bittensor, a miner is a service provider: it does the work a subnet asks for. Depending on the subnet, that can mean answering questions with an AI model, providing graphics cards, predicting prices or collecting data. Validators score that work, and the best share 41% of the subnet's rewards.

Open subnets

128

With free slots

Cheapest entry

τ0.000500

Most expensive entry

τ8.75

Becoming a miner in 5 steps

01

Pick a subnet that fits your hardware

Each subnet has its own task and requirements (powerful GPU, CPU, bandwidth…). Browse them by type of work: GPU compute, AI inference, AI training. Always read the subnet's documentation and GitHub.
02

Create a wallet with two keys

A coldkey (your money) and a hotkey (your miner badge on the subnet). See the wallet guide.
03

Pay the entry price

Signing up gives you a slot on the subnet (a "UID"). It costs TAO, which is recycled: it is not refunded. The price rises after each sign-up then falls over time: check it right before.
04

Use the protection period

For a period set by the subnet, you cannot be evicted. Use it to earn good scores: after that, a low-earning miner can be replaced by any new sign-up.
05

Run, monitor, improve

Run the subnet's miner code with your hotkey and follow your scores and earnings. It's a competition: the best keep improving their models, hardware and uptime.

Live entry prices

The largest subnets

Subnet	Category	Entry price	Slots taken	Protection
lium.io SN51	Compute	τ0.500	256/256	16.7 h
Chutes SN64	Inference	τ0.000500	256/256	16.7 h
engy SN53	Inference	τ0.000500	256/256	0.0 h
Targon SN4	Compute	τ0.000500	256/256	25.1 h
SayGM SN28	Inference	τ0.100	256/256	12.0 h
Score SN44	Media	τ0.0500	256/256	25.0 h
Affine SN120	Training	τ2.50	256/256	16.7 h
Actual SN95	Inference	τ0.000500	256/256	16.7 h
Vanta SN8	Finance	τ0.000500	256/256	4.0 h
iota SN9	Training	τ0.000500	256/256	16.7 h

Subnets with free slots (nobody to evict)

Subnet	Category	Entry price	Slots taken	Protection
CookingTAO SN122	Infrastructure	τ0.000500	82/256	168.0 h
Subnet 86 SN86	—	τ0.000500	140/256	16.7 h
KubeTEE SN90	Compute	τ0.000500	100/256	16.7 h
Subnet 92 SN92	—	τ0.000500	57/256	16.7 h
GPUForge SN47	Training	τ0.0500	158/256	16.7 h
ChipForge SN108	Science	τ0.0500	156/256	16.7 h
everyframe.studio SN117	Media	τ0.0500	136/256	72.0 h
Epago SN36	Agents	τ0.1000	29/256	16.7 h

On-chain data, refreshed every 5 minutes. Protection converted at 12 seconds per block.

Going further: the technical details

btcli subnets show --netuid 64           # current entry price
btcli subnets register --netuid 64 -w my_coldkey --hotkey my_hotkey

By default btcli aborts if the price goes above your tolerance. A subnet has a limited number of slots (often 256): once full, a new sign-up replaces the unprotected neuron with the lowest emissions. Data used: SubtensorModule.Burn, SubnetworkN, MaxAllowedUids, ImmunityPeriod.

Miners are paid in the subnet's alpha every tempo (360 blocks, about 72 minutes), according to validator scores (Yuma Consensus).

Tips before you start

💡 Getting started right

Start on testnet, or on a subnet with free slots where nobody can evict you.
Treat the entry price as spent: it is not refunded.
Never register on the subnet owner's hotkey: miner earnings sent to owner-linked hotkeys are not paid out.

Bittensor mining FAQ

Can I mine Bittensor on a regular computer?

It depends on the subnet: some tasks need high-end GPUs, others CPU, bandwidth or data. Each subnet publishes its requirements.

How much does it cost to register a miner on Bittensor?

It varies by subnet and over time. Right now the cheapest costs τ0.000500 and the most expensive τ8.75. The TAO paid is recycled, not refunded.

What is the immunity period?

A number of blocks after sign-up during which a miner cannot be evicted. Each subnet sets its own; at 12 seconds per block, 7,200 blocks is about 24 hours.

Why was my miner deregistered?

When a subnet is full, every new sign-up replaces the unprotected miner earning the least. Poor scores after the protection period make a miner vulnerable.

How are Bittensor miners paid?

In the subnet's alpha token, about every 72 minutes. Miners share 41% of the subnet's rewards according to validator scores.