Bittensor has announced an important upgrade coming to the network’s Root Claim. This update changes how users receive their rewards from root staking, giving everyone more control and flexibility.
Root staking in Bittensor means locking up tokens on the Root Subnet (Subnet 0) to help secure and support the main network.
Unlike staking in individual subnets (where $TAO is converted into, $ALPHA, token specific to that subnet), root staking keeps your tokens in their original $TAO form (since the root subnet token is directly pegged to the price of $TAO). This makes it a lower-risk and more stable option, since rewards and stake aren’t exposed to the price fluctuations of other subnet tokens.
The upgrade will first be tested on devnet and testnet before going live on mainnet.
What’s Changing
Root Claim introduces two simple choices for users when it comes to their staking rewards:
a. Swap (Default)
If users don’t do anything, their rewards (in root $ALPHA) will automatically be swapped into $TAO each time they claim. The $TAO is then added to their root stake.
b. Keep Alpha (Optional)
If users prefer to hold their rewards as $ALPHA instead of $TAO, they can choose to “keep” them. This keeps their exposure to $ALPHA rather than converting it.
To do this, users simply set their claim type to keep before the upgrade goes live.
Auto-Claim System
The new system also includes automatic claiming. This means you no longer need to manually claim rewards all the time.
Here’s how it works:
a. On every block, a few accounts are randomly picked for automatic claiming.
b. On average, users account will be auto-claimed about once every two days, though it can vary.
c. Each block allows up to five auto-claims.
d. Users can still claim manually anytime if they want faster access to their rewards.
The choice (whether to keep or swap) will still apply during automatic claiming.
Why This Matters
This upgrade makes claiming smoother, fairer, and more flexible for everyone.
a. More choice: Users decide whether to want to grow their $ALPHA or stick with $TAO.
b. Healthier markets: By spreading out claim times, it avoids sudden waves of selling pressure.
c. Support for $ALPHA: If more users choose to keep alpha instead of swapping to $TAO, it can help stabilize $ALPHA’s value.
In short, it gives users more control while keeping the network balanced.
For Builders and Tools
For developers and projects that build on Bittensor, some backend storage fields are changing.
This means wallet interfaces, dashboards, and analytics tools will need to update how they read and display claim data.
For regular users, though, nothing technical needs to be done beyond choosing whether to Keep or Swap.
What You Should Do
If you’re a regular user:
a. Decide whether you want to keep $ALPHA or swap to $TAO.
b. If you want to keep, make sure you set your preference before the mainnet rollout.
If you’re an operator or developer:
a. Update your tools and dashboards to use the new storage fields.
b. Adjust any “pending rewards” calculations to match the new structure.
The Bottom Line
The Root Claim upgrade is all about putting control back in your hands.
You get to decide how your rewards are realized, and the network benefits from smoother, more balanced markets.
This clean claims infrastructure leads to clearer choices, the best recipe for better experience for everyone on Bittensor.
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