# Opentensor Foundation

> Building neurons. Turning the web into a brain.

Opentensor Foundation is a non-profit that develops and maintains open-source tools and infrastructure for the Bittensor decentralized AI network.

The Opentensor Foundation develops and maintains core open-source infrastructure for Bittensor, including the Subtensor blockchain, Python SDK, and command-line tools. Miners, validators, and stakers use these tools to participate in permissionless subnets and earn TAO rewards. The foundation also stewards governance processes and technical documentation, ensuring the network remains accessible and community-driven.

- Type: Non-Profit
- Sector: Blockchain Platforms
- Status: Active
- Founded: 2021-05-18
- Profile: https://thegrid.id/profiles/opentensor_foundation

## Products

- [Subtensor](https://thegrid.id/profiles/opentensor_foundation): Subtensor is the open-source Substrate-based node software implementing the Bittensor blockchain. It runs the Yuma Consensus mechanism, records TAO balances and transactions, stores neuron metadata for miners and validators, and supports WASM smart contracts through pallet-contracts. Node operators can run a lite node using warp synchronization or an archive node that maintains full chain history. Subtensor also embeds an EVM runtime layer with mainnet Chain ID 964. (Node Software, Live, Main Product)
- [Bittensor SDK](https://thegrid.id/profiles/opentensor_foundation): The Bittensor SDK is an open-source Python library for programmatic interaction with the Bittensor network. It provides tools to create and manage wallets, register miners and validators, write subnet incentive mechanisms, query network state, and submit transactions to the Subtensor blockchain. The library uses a dual-key wallet model with a coldkey for secure TAO storage and a hotkey for operational tasks. (Developer Tooling, Live)
- [Bittensor CLI](https://thegrid.id/profiles/opentensor_foundation): The Bittensor CLI (btcli) is a command-line interface for managing operations on the Bittensor network. It provides commands for wallet creation and encryption, TAO transfers and staking, subnet and neuron registration, subnet hyperparameter management, on-chain governance participation through Senate proposals, and network status monitoring. It is installable via pip, Homebrew, or from source. (Developer Tooling, Live)
- [Bittensor Metadata Portal](https://thegrid.id/profiles/opentensor_foundation): The Bittensor Metadata Portal is a self-hosted web interface operated by the Opentensor Foundation that provides current Bittensor network chain metadata and specifications. It enables Polkadot Vault cold storage device users to scan QR codes to add Bittensor chain specifications or update network metadata on their devices. (Developer Tooling, Live)
- [Bittensor EVM Bridge](https://thegrid.id/profiles/opentensor_foundation): The Bittensor EVM Bridge is an interface operated by the Opentensor Foundation for moving TAO between Substrate-style SS58 wallets and Ethereum-style H160 wallets on the Bittensor network. Users can transfer TAO to access the EVM execution environment on Bittensor or convert TAO into vTAO for bridging to other EVM-compatible networks. (Bridge, Live)

## Assets

- [Wrapped TAO (WTAO)](https://thegrid.id/profiles/opentensor_foundation): WTAO is a wrapped version of TAO deployed as an ERC-20 token on the Bittensor EVM layer and on Ethereum. It enables TAO holders to interact with EVM-compatible applications by depositing TAO to mint WTAO at a one-to-one ratio. The contract is ownerless and collects no fees, providing a permissionless wrapping and unwrapping mechanism. (Wrapped Tokens)
- [vTAO (VTAO)](https://thegrid.id/profiles/opentensor_foundation): VTAO is a liquid staking token representing staked TAO on Bittensor's EVM layer. Users mint vTAO by depositing TAO into a staking contract, with the underlying TAO balance growing through accumulated staking rewards at the prevailing exchange rate. It can be bridged to supported EVM chains, allowing holders to earn staking rewards while maintaining cross-chain liquidity. (Liquid Staking Tokens (LSTs))

## Links

- [Main](https://opentensor.ai)
- [Documentation](https://docs.learnbittensor.org)
- [Whitepaper](https://opentensor.ai/whitepaper)
- [GitHub](https://github.com/opentensor)
- [Discord](https://discord.com/invite/qasY3HA9F9)

## Relationships

- [Bittensor](https://thegrid.id/profiles/bittensor): Subsidiary

## Legal

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- [Data Licensing & Disclaimers](https://about.thegrid.id/legal/data-licensing-and-disclaimers): Licensing models and disclaimers
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- [Attribution Guidelines](https://about.thegrid.id/legal/open-data-attribution-guidelines): How to attribute The Grid's data when using the open data service.
- [Web Services Terms](https://about.thegrid.id/legal/web-services-terms): commercial Terms for using data services.
- [All Legal Documents](https://about.thegrid.id/legal): Full index of terms, policies, and disclosures

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