The Bittensor people remember from 2024 barely exists anymore.
When solana:taoC6xyv2v8tDLcev4uaGUgV4vdQsWJrGft2kcBRrBY topped $700 in March 2024, there were roughly 32 subnets, emissions were allocated through Root validators, there were no subnet tokens and most activity revolved around miners competing for TAO.
Today there are 128 subnets spanning inference, compute, coding, data, prediction and scientific research. dTAO created an internal capital market where holders can price individual subnets. Some teams are generating outside revenue and using it for buybacks. Daily TAO issuance has been cut in half, while ownership and institutional access are materially broader than in 2024.
And the network is accelerating again. V440 makes emissions more selective, directs rewards toward subnets attracting real demand and lowers the economic barrier for new teams to enter. That clears the way for Bittensor to support more subnets without simply diluting the strongest ones.
In 2024, TAO was primarily scarcity plus a vision.
Today it is scarcity plus 128 competing AI markets, with capital actively searching for the ones creating real value.
Same ticker. Completely different network.