Hotkeys (Bittensor)
The operational key used by miners, validators, and subnet actors to register, submit weights, and perform day-to-day on-chain actions.
Hotkeys (Bittensor)
A hotkey is the operational key in the Bittensor wallet model. It is used by participants to perform routine, on-chain actions needed for roles like miners and validators.
References: Wallets (learnbittensor.org), Working with Keys, BTCLI Reference
Responsibilities
- Identify and authorize operational actions by network participants (e.g., register a miner/validator, submit evaluation weights).
- Interact with subnet services according to published mechanisms.
Security model
- Hotkeys are designed to be used on online infrastructure (e.g., validator and miner nodes).
- They should not control funds; if compromised, the coldkey can rotate or revoke authority.
Operational practices
- Use separate hotkeys for distinct roles or nodes to bound blast radius.
- Monitor activity and rotate keys if suspicious behavior is detected.
- Keep node environments patched and restrict access to hotkey material.
Tooling
- btcli and the Wallet SDK support generating and managing hotkeys under a wallet.
- Registration and day-to-day actions are performed with the hotkey.