The Bittensor Global Subnet Hackathon is a global builder program for Bittensor developers, AI researchers, ML engineers, and Web3 builders to design and build the next generation of subnets for the Bittensor network.

Participants will take a subnet idea from concept and mechanism design to a working testnet implementation, demonstrating how their subnet creates value, evaluates miner contributions, and coordinates miners and validators.

The hackathon focuses on the quality of the underlying mechanism: what work the subnet incentivizes, how that work is evaluated, how miners and validators interact, and why the network should reward that contribution.

Throughout the hackathon, builders will have access to technical workshops, office hours, mentorship, and community support.

What You Need to Build

Your project should demonstrate a credible subnet concept and progress toward a working Bittensor testnet implementation.

A strong submission should include:

• A meaningful problem or digital commodity the subnet provides

• Clearly defined miner tasks and expected outputs

• A validator evaluation and scoring mechanism

• Incentive and reward logic

• Working miner and/or subnet implementation

• Working validator evaluation flow

• Evidence that the mechanism works as intended

• A clear path toward long-term ecosystem value

Submission Requirements

Participants will submit their work progressively throughout the hackathon.

1. Subnet Proposal

Submit a proposal covering:

• Problem and use case

• Subnet architecture

• Miner responsibilities and tasks

• Validator responsibilities and evaluation

• Incentive and reward mechanism

• Scoring methodology

• Expected users and ecosystem value

• Roadmap toward testnet and future deployment

2. Testnet Implementation

Teams should deploy their subnet or miner implementation on the Bittensor testnet.

The implementation should demonstrate:

• Functional subnet/miner logic

• Miner-validator interaction

• Working evaluation and scoring

• Evidence that incentives behave as intended

Polish is not the priority. Functional correctness and conceptual integrity are.

3. GitHub Repository

Provide a public repository containing:

• Subnet code

• Miner code

• Validator code

• Setup instructions

• Technical documentation

• Testnet deployment instructions

4. Demo & Final Pitch

Submit:

• A short demo video showing the subnet/miner running on testnet

• A pitch explaining the problem, mechanism, miner-validator flow, incentive design, testnet results, and future roadmap

Example: Proven Testnet

Proven Testnet is an example of the type of project participants can aim to build.

Proven is a Bittensor subnet focused on decentralized software verification. Its design clearly defines the work performed by miners, how validators generate and evaluate tasks, and how miner performance is measured through mutation testing.

During the hackathon, the team progressed to a working Bittensor testnet implementation with 3 validators and 10 miners, demonstrating the fundamental flow of the proposed subnet.

The project shows how a strong submission can connect a real-world problem → subnet mechanism → miner work → validator evaluation → incentive system → working testnet implementation.

View Proven Testnet

Hackathon Checkpoints

Hackathon Duration: Aug. 22 – Oct. 19, 2026

Sep. 20 – Ideate & Design

Turn an initial idea into a clear subnet mechanism.

Activities include:

• Hackathon kickoff

• Bittensor subnet introduction

• Technical workshop on subnet architecture

• Builder networking & team formation

• Office hours

Checkpoint #1: Subnet Proposal

Teams submit their problem statement, architecture, miner-validator design, evaluation mechanism, and incentive model.

Oct. 19 – Final Submission & Demo

Goal: Finalize the subnet and demonstrate its potential.

Activities include:

• Final testing

• Documentation and demo preparation

• Final office hours

• Final project submissions

• Live demos/presentations

• Judging and winner selection

Final Submission: Updated proposal, GitHub repository, testnet implementation, demo video, and final pitch.

What Selected Builders Can Receive

Beyond the hackathon prizes, strong projects may have opportunities to continue developing within the Bittensor ecosystem, including:

• Incubation resources and support from Bitstarter

• Interview Oppertunities with General Tensor Accelerator, and Yuma Accelerator

• Exposure to Bittensor ecosystem participants

These opportunities are intended to help promising projects move beyond the hackathon and continue building within the Bittensor ecosystem.