Knowledge
Must Be Shared
From zero to decentralized intelligence architect. Master the Bittensor stack.
Module 1: Intelligence Commodity
Bittensor replaces traditional centralized AI silos (OpenAI, Google) with an open marketplace where intelligence is traded as a commodity.
Incentive Loop
The Marketplace
Module 2: Wallet & Security Essentials
The Cold Key (Vault)
Holds your funds, controls staking, and executes transfers. **Never use this on a public terminal.**
- • Offline storage recommended
- • Authorizes Hotkey to work
The Hot Key (Worker)
Used by the miner node to sign requests and receive rewards. Accumulates trust scores.
- • Lives on the mining machine
- • Lower risk if compromised
OpSec Rules
- 1. Never leak keys in terminals during screenshares or screenshots.
- 2. Dedicated machine/Least Privilege: Don't run miners on your daily laptop.
- 3. Scam Awareness: Ignore "support" DMs on Telegram/Discord. Use only official installers.
Module 3: Node Setup Walkthrough
Follow this flow to deploy your first miner on the Testnet.
1. Environment Initialization
# Create working directory
mkdir bittensor-demo && cd bittensor-demo
# Setup Virtual Environment
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
# Install Bittensor CLI
python3 -m pip install --upgrade git+https://github.com/opentensor/bittensor2. Wallet Creation
# Create Cold Key
btcli wallet new_coldkey --wallet.name my_miner
# Create Hot Key
btcli wallet new_hotkey --wallet.name my_miner --wallet.hotkey my_hotkey
# Verify Balance
btcli wallet overview --wallet.name my_miner --subtensor.network test3. Registration & Running
You must register your keys into a specific NetUID before mining.
# Clone template
git clone https://github.com/opentensor/bittensor-subnet-template.git
cd bittensor-subnet-template && pip install -e .
# Register on NetUID 1 (Testnet)
btcli subnet register --netuid 1 --wallet.name my_miner --wallet.hotkey my_hotkey --subtensor.network test
# START MINING
python3 neurons/miner.py --netuid 1 --wallet.name my_miner --wallet.hotkey my_hotkey --subtensor.network test --logging.debugModule 4: Infrastructure Tiers
Starter
Mac M1/M2
Ideal for CLI, scripting, and wallet management. Testing concepts.
Intermediate
RTX 3090/4090
24GB VRAM. Perfect for inference subnets (Text/Image Gen).
Competitive
H100 / A100
80GB VRAM. Required for heavy LLM fine-tuning tasks.
Module 5: Debugging Checklist
- • Dependency Mismatch: Version conflicts with bittensor-cli.
- • Port Blocked: Firewall/ISP restriction on P2P communication.
- • Low Bandwidth: Unstable ping causing timeouts in validation.
- • Time Sync: System clock drift causes authentication failure.
Debug Workflow
1. Reproduce Error
2. Read Logs (`--logging.debug`)
3. Isolate (Network vs Hardware vs Script)
4. Fix & Verify Metagraph status.
Module 6: Community & Contribution
What's Next?
Join the official Discord, pick one Subnet from the Metagraph, and complete the setup checklist.
Contribution Paths
- • Localization (English/Indonesian)
- • Bug Reports & Documentation
- • Building dApps using Subnet outputs
Verification
Final Graduation
1. What is the primary role of Validators?
2. Which key should NEVER be on a mining machine?
Select all correct answers to graduate