What is Bittensor

How Does the Bittensor Protocol Work?

The Bittensor Protocol is a decentralized machine learning framework designed to enable the exchange of machine learning capabilities and predictions among participants in a peer-to-peer network. This facilitates the sharing and collaboration of machine learning models and services.

Bittensor Network AI Protocol Overview

The Bittensor network is composed of nodes, known as miners, that participate in the protocol. Each node operates Bittensor client software, allowing it to interact with other nodes within the network.

To participate and mine TAO tokens, users must register a hotkey. This can be done either by solving a proof of work (PoW) challenge or by paying a fee using the recycle_register method.

Once registered, a node becomes part of a subnet, which is focused on a specific domain or topic within the Bittensor network. Each subnet hosts its own set of registered nodes and associated machine learning models.

Validators play a crucial role by validating responses and predictions from miners. They ensure the integrity and quality of the data and models exchanged within the network. Validators query miners and evaluate their responses to determine accuracy and reliability, serving as intermediaries and access points for user and application interactions.

Miners provide machine learning services by hosting models locally. When a client application requires a prediction, it sends a request to the Bittensor network, which routes it to a suitable miner. The miner processes the request using its local model and returns the prediction through the network.

The Bittensor network uses consensus algorithms to maintain data integrity, prevent double-spending, ensure data consistency, and uphold network security. These mechanisms help achieve agreement on the network state.

The network uses a token-based economy to reward miners and validators for their computational resources and accurate predictions. This incentivization encourages active participation and helps maintain network stability and efficiency. Users contributing valuable data or computational resources are rewarded with TAO tokens.

Consensus Mechanism of TAO Bittensor

Proof of Intelligence is a unique consensus mechanism in Bittensor, rewarding nodes that contribute valuable machine learning models and outputs. Unlike PoW or PoS mechanisms, nodes perform machine learning tasks to demonstrate their intelligence. Nodes with more accurate and valuable outputs have a higher chance of adding new blocks to the chain and receiving TAO token rewards.

Bittensor employs a decentralized MoE model, using multiple neural networks to address complex problems. Each expert model specializes in a specific aspect of the data, and together they generate collective predictions that surpass the capabilities of individual models. This approach enables higher prediction accuracy and the ability to handle larger data volumes.

Problems Bittensor Addresses

Training AI models requires significant computational power, often accessible only to large corporations and research institutions. This concentration leads to permissioned and siloed AI models, limiting collaboration. Bittensor democratizes access to computational power, allowing smaller entities to participate.

Current AI models often operate in silos, limiting collaboration and knowledge transfer. Bittensor facilitates a collaborative environment where models can learn from each other, accelerating innovation and reducing redundant efforts.

Bittensor’s Goal

Bittensor aims to create a peer-to-peer marketplace that incentivizes the production of machine intelligence. Using techniques like the mixture of experts and knowledge distillation, the platform encourages knowledge sharing among researchers, leading to more powerful AI models. The ultimate vision is a fair, transparent, and accessible AI market, supported by the decentralized TAO token.

Bittensor Network Structure

Bittensor’s architecture is inspired by the cognitive processes of the human brain. Each computational unit, or “Neuron,” includes a model, dataset, and loss function. Neurons communicate like biological neural networks, optimizing their functions through cooperative learning. Each Neuron has an Axon terminal to receive inputs and a Dendrite terminal to transmit inputs. The training process involves sending input batches to neighboring Neurons and processing these inputs through local models, fostering an intelligent and interconnected network of Neurons.

TAO Token

The total supply of TAO is capped at 21 million tokens, similar to Bitcoin, to limit inflation and maintain value.

TAO can be managed in wallets compatible with the Polkadot ecosystem, such as the Polkadot JS Wallet. Tokens are stored on the blockchain, with wallets providing the interface to access and control them. Users can manage their TAO tokens via the Bittensor blockchain explorer at explorer.finney.opentensor.ai.

Buying TAO

TAO tokens can be purchased on various exchanges and platforms, including:

• Gate.io
• Uniswap
• Uphold
• MEXC
• Kraken
• Binance

Investors of Bittensor

Bittensor has attracted notable investors, including:

Digital Currency Group
Polychain Capital
FirstMark Capital
GSR

Bittensor Team

The Bittensor Foundation is led by several key figures, including:

Jacob Robert Steeves – Co-Founder
Ala Shaabana – Co-Founder

Conclusion

Bittensor’s system is designed for diversity, enabling engineers to fine-tune models, plug them into the network, and innovate. This scalable system fosters an open-ended ecosystem for AI development, harnessing global computing power and innovation. Researchers and engineers are invited to join Bittensor’s mission to create a new paradigm for AI, leveraging digital trust to build a powerful and intelligent future.