Choosing a wallet
Bittensor uses Substrate-based addresses, so you need a wallet that supports the Substrate ecosystem. Talisman is the most popular choice among Bittensor users: it has a polished UI, native Bittensor network support, and built-in staking tools. Polkadot.js Extension is the older, more technical option that works for all Substrate chains and is widely used by validators and developers.
For most stakers starting out, Talisman is the better experience. It displays your TAO balance clearly, guides you through transactions with readable summaries, and supports hardware wallets (Ledger) for added security once you hold larger amounts. Polkadot.js remains useful if you need raw access to extrinsic parameters or are debugging advanced operations.
Creating your wallet
Follow these steps to set up Talisman and get your Bittensor address:
- Install the browser extensionVisit the official Talisman website (talisman.xyz) and install the extension for Chrome, Firefox, or Brave. Always download from the official site or verified browser extension store to avoid phishing.
- Create a new accountOpen the extension and choose to create a new account. Talisman will generate a 12 or 24-word seed phrase for you. This phrase is the master key to all your funds.
- Back up your seed phraseWrite your seed phrase on paper and store it in a secure, offline location. Never photograph it, type it into any website, or store it in a password manager. Anyone with your seed phrase controls your wallet.
- Enable Bittensor in TalismanIn Talisman settings, enable the Bittensor (Finney) network. Your wallet will generate a Bittensor coldkey address — this is the address you will use to stake and receive TAO.
Your first stake
Once you have TAO in your wallet and you’ve chosen a subnet to stake on, placing your first stake takes about five minutes:
- Open the subnet page and jump to the trade panelOn bittensor.ai, go to the page for the subnet you want to back. The buy/sell panel sits beside the price chart, above the tabs. The Stake & Trade button in the sticky bar jumps straight to it, as does the No hardware? Back this subnet by staking instead link at the foot of the Participate tab.
- Connect your walletUntil an account is connected, the panel’s submit button reads “Connect wallet”. Click it, pick your extension, and choose the coldkey address you funded.
- Enter an amount on the Buy tabThe panel opens on Buy (on the root subnet these read Stake and Unstake instead). Type into the “You pay” field — the unit selector lets you enter TAO, alpha or a fiat equivalent. Start small on your first stake so you can verify the whole path before committing a larger position. Below the field, “You receive”, “Price” and “Fees” update as you type; the Price row carries a price-impact badge, which matters on thin pools.
- Check the validator you are staking toYour stake goes to a validator on the subnet, and the panel preselects one for you. Open the picker (Select Validator) to change it — each row shows the validator’s name, how many subnets it runs on, its total stake, its nominator count and a subnet-scoped APY. Take rate is not shown here; if you want to compare takes, use the take column in the fund directory’s column picker before you come back.
- Review and signThe submit button becomes “Review buy”. It opens a Confirm Buy dialog listing You pay, You receive, Price impact, Fees and an estimated total, plus whether the transaction goes out as a standard or MEV Shield submission. Confirm there, then approve the transaction in your wallet extension.
- Watch it land on-chainThe panel tracks the transaction through submitting, awaiting finalization and verifying on chain — usually under a minute on Finney mainnet. When it clears, your new position shows up in the positions card directly under the panel.
Verifying your stake
After the transaction confirms, your new position appears in the positions card underneath the trade panel, keyed to the wallet you connected — no account needed. The balance is denominated in the subnet’s alpha token, not TAO; the TAO-equivalent value is displayed alongside it based on the current AMM price. Your first emission should appear within the next epoch, typically within a few hours.
If your stake doesn’t appear after a few blocks, double-check the transaction on a Bittensor block explorer using your wallet address. A failed transaction will show a clear error in the extrinsic data. Common causes include insufficient TAO for the transaction fee or selecting a validator that is no longer active on the subnet.
To follow the position over time rather than per-wallet, add the coldkey to your account and it is aggregated on your portfolio →