The Bittensor subnet ecosystem has witnessed a sharp expansion over the past year, with inflows and network activity accelerating at an unprecedented pace.
According to CryptoRank, the total TAO staked across subnets has surged from roughly $74,400 to more than $620 million over the past 12 months. This marks an increase of approximately 833,000%.
Subnet Ecosystem Expansion Accelerates
The sharp rise highlights growing investor interest in subnet participation, a key component of Bittensor’s decentralized AI infrastructure. Network growth has also been reflected in the number of subnets.
The subnets have climbed from around 80 to over 120 during the same period. Several subnets have posted strong monthly performance, with Templar leading the pack at 171% growth, followed by Quasar at 146%, NOVA at 66%, Targon at 36%, and iota at 29%.
The combined market capitalization of Bittensor subnet coins has crossed $1.5 billion, according to CoinGecko. Every tracked subnet token posted positive returns over the past month.
Despite the staking surge, most TAO remains outside subnets. Mark Jeffrey, Partner at Bittensor Fund, Stillcore Capital, noted that only 19% of TAO is currently staked in subnets, while roughly 48% sits in Root.
“Once the first subnet zooms to $1B+, I expect Root stakers will start rushing into Subnets. Even if NO NEW TAO is bought, Subnets could 3x or 4x just because of that alone,” he stated.
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TAO Outperforms the Crypto Market
While the ecosystem expands, TAO itself has been rallying since early March. BeInCrypto reported that the altcoin crossed $300 after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang referenced the Covenant-72B model during an appearance on the All-In Podcast.
However, underlying buying pressure had been building for months, with a short squeeze amplifying the move. Despite the subsequent dip, TAO has seen upward growth this week.
The asset has posted gains of over 20% in the past week, outperforming the broader crypto market.
In addition, TAO rose neraly 11% over the last 24 hours, making it one of the top-performing cryptocurrencies among the top 100 by market capitalization. At the time of writing, the altcoin was trading at around $339, its highest level since November 2025.
