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Token Bridging

This guide provides an overview of two related topics:

  • how to moves TAO between Substrate-style wallets (SS58) and the Etherum style wallets on Bittensor EVM
  • how to use vTAO as a token bridge between Bittensor EVM and other EVM chains.
info

Bittensor EVM smart contracts are executed solely on the Bittensor blockchain, not on the Ethereum blockchain.

Transferring liquidity between Substrate and EVM Wallets on Bittensor Chain​

TAO is the native token of the Bittensor network it exists on Subtensor, Bittensor's blockchain, which is built on top of Substrate. Hence, TAO is normally held in Substrate-style, ss58-format wallets, which can be used to execute Subtensor blockchain extrinsics, including through the Bittensor Python SDK and BTCLI.

See Wallets, Coldkeys and Hotkeys in Bittensor

If TAO is transferred to an Ethereum-style h160 wallet, it can be used in Bittensor's EVM layer. This is the same token, just represented in a different account format.

You can move TAO back and forth between Substrate and EVM wallets several ways: Use example scripts:

Bridge to other EVM Chains with vTAO​

vTAO is a liquid-staked TAO token on the Subtensor EVM, available through 'tao.app/bridge'.

  • vTAO is minted by depositing TAO into a staking contract, the vTAO can later be redeemed for an amount of TAO depending on the exchange rate.
  • Your wallet balance in vTAO stays the same, but the underlying TAO locked in the contract increases with staking rewards.
  • vTAO can be bridged between supported EVM chains.
tip

vTAO conceptually similar to Lido's wstETH.