Root Reborn and staking rewards

Overview: Root Reborn changes how rewards from root staking are handled on Bittensor. Rewards now collect in a validator’s “basket” until you choose to claim them.

Where to find it: Your unclaimed rewards appear in the Rewards row on the Home screen, under Balances.

What changed

Before Root Reborn, rewards earned by root stakers were automatically sold for TAO the moment they arrived. That meant constant selling pressure on subnet tokens and a steady stream of taxable events you couldn’t control.

Now the rewards stay in place and keep building up. You decide when to turn them into TAO.

Your original stake works the same as before. Moving TAO in and out of root staking has no fee and no slippage.

Note: If you were already staking, you don’t need to do anything. Rewards you had earned before the upgrade were carried over automatically.

What is a validator basket?

Every root validator manages one basket, like a small fund. Each time you earn rewards, they are added to your validator’s basket as tokens from the subnets that generated them.

• Your share: You own a slice of the whole basket, based on how much you have staked with that validator.
• Mix of subnets: A basket holds tokens from many subnets, and the mix differs from one validator to the next.
• Validators can trade: A validator can swap one holding for another to reshape the basket. Without any trades, the basket simply holds what it earned.
• Open to view: Holdings, trades, and lifetime returns are public, so you can compare validators.

Note: Because a basket holds subnet tokens, the TAO value of your rewards moves with the market until you claim.

How manual claiming works

Auto-claim is off. Your rewards stay in the basket, growing, until you claim them.

When you claim, your share of the basket is sold for TAO and added to your root stake on the same validator. Your principal is untouched.

How to claim

1. On the Home screen, find Rewards under Balances. It shows your total unclaimed rewards.
2. Tap Rewards and select the validators you want to claim from.
3. Review the network fee and the amount you will receive.
4. Confirm the claim.

Claimed rewards are added to your root stake on the same validator. To move the TAO to your wallet balance, unstake it afterward.

Tip: Check that your rewards are comfortably larger than the fee shown before you confirm. If the fee is close to the amount you’d receive, wait and let more build up.

Good to know

• Claims cover a full basket. You can’t claim part of a validator’s basket, but you can choose which validators to claim from.
• There is a minimum. Very small rewards (under about 0.0005 TAO) are skipped until they grow past the threshold. Nothing expires, and you can claim at any time.
• There is a network fee. Crucible shows the fee before you confirm. It depends on how many different tokens the basket holds, so it’s higher for a very full basket.
• The value changes. The amount you receive depends on market prices at the moment you claim.
• Unstaking leaves rewards behind. Unstaking returns your principal only. Your unclaimed rewards stay owed to you and can be claimed later.

Choosing a validator

Since each validator manages their own basket, it’s worth checking before you stake. Look at what the basket holds, how large it is, and how it has performed over time.

If you don’t like how a validator is managing their basket, you can claim your rewards and stake with a different one. Your principal moves at its full value.

Common questions

Do I have to claim?
No. Unclaimed rewards keep building with no deadline, and nothing expires.

Will I lose my stake if I don’t claim?
No. Your principal stays safe. Only the TAO value of unclaimed rewards moves with the market.

Can I claim only some of my rewards?
No. A claim always covers your full share of that validator’s basket. You can pick which validators to claim from.

Why did my accrued rewards change without me doing anything?
Your rewards are priced at current market rates, so the number moves as subnet token prices move.

What if my validator loses its spot?
Your stake and accrued rewards stay intact. You can keep them with that validator or move to another.