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Validator delegation using child hotkeys

This guide helps you delegate a portion of your validator stake to the official Gopher validator using a child hotkey. Delegating through child hotkeys enhances security, simplifies operations, and enables direct support of the Gopher network.

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What is a Child Hotkey?

A child hotkey is a hotkey that receives a delegated portion of stake from a parent hotkey. This lets you safely stake across subnets and validators without exposing your primary hotkey to risk.

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Why Delegate to the Gopher Validator?

2% Take Rate

✓ Keep 98% of your rewards

Trusted Infrastructure

✓ Run by Gopher core team
✓ Enterprise-grade reliability
✓ Professional monitoring

Simple Setup

✓ Delegate in minutes
✓ Clear documentation
✓ Easy to get started

Scalable Design

✓ Multi-subnet staking
✓ Isolated operational risk
✓ Flexible delegation
Gopher is currently one of the most delegator-friendly validators on Bittensor Subnet 42 with a 2% take rate, though this rate may be adjusted in the future.

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🪪 Gopher Validator Hotkey for Delegation

To delegate to the official Gopher Validator on Subnet 42, use this hotkey address: 
5CZv4oXgYsAFjJj8rLmmbLG29y7x9RGEc6hM9tzCwRU8NeDe

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🛠️ Step-by-Step Guide

1

Register Your Child Hotkey

Run the following command to register your child hotkey:
btcli register --wallet.name <child_wallet_name> --netuid 42
2

Delegate Stake to Gopher Validator

Execute this command to delegate your stake:
btcli stake set_children \
  --netuid 42 \
  --children <your_child_hotkey_ss58> \
  --proportions 1.0 \
  --hotkey 5CZv4oXgYsAFjJj8rLmmbLG29y7x9RGEc6hM9tzCwRU8NeDe \
  --wallet.name <your_coldkey_name>
Tip: The --proportions flag should reflect the portion of stake you want to delegate (e.g., 0.5 for 50%).
By default, the child hotkey starts with a take rate of 0%, and the Gopher validator does not charge any fee. You keep 100% of your rewards.

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View Your Delegation

Check that your delegation is active: 
btcli stake get_children --netuid 42 --hotkey 5CZv4oXgYsAFjJj8rLmmbLG29y7x9RGEc6hM9tzCwRU8NeDe --all

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Update or Revoke Delegation

Update proportions: 
btcli stake set_children \
  --netuid 42 \
  --children <your_child_hotkey> \
  --proportions <new_proportion> \
  --hotkey 5CZv4oXgYsAFjJj8rLmmbLG29y7x9RGEc6hM9tzCwRU8NeDe \
  --wallet.name <your_coldkey_name>
Revoke delegation: 
btcli stake revoke_children --hotkey 5CZv4oXgYsAFjJj8rLmmbLG29y7x9RGEc6hM9tzCwRU8NeDe --netuid 42

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Optional: Set Take Rate for Your Child Hotkey

Control how much your child key keeps from rewards: Set take rate: 
btcli stake set_childkey_take --hotkey <your_child_hotkey> --netuid 42 --take 0.18
Check take rate: 
btcli stake get_childkey_take --hotkey <your_child_hotkey> --netuid 42
Note: You can only update the take rate once every 30 days.

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Important Considerations

  • The total proportion across child keys must be ≤ 1.0
  • You must have registered your child hotkey on Subnet 42
  • Minimum stake may apply depending on network settings
  • Gopher validator’s default take rate is 0%, so you keep 100% of your earnings
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