Key Takeaways
- The price of TAO has climbed 40% in October.
- The combined market cap of Bittensor’s subnet tokens has also increased.
- TAO stakers increasingly opt to receive subnet token rewards.
With most cryptocurrencies on track to end October at around the same level at which they started the month, Bittensor (TAO) is one of the few tokens that bucked the trend.
TAO’s 40% price increase in 30 days comes amid strong growth in the Bittensor ecosystem, where a change in staking behaviour reflects rising interest in subnet tokens.
TAO Rallies as Others Flounder
While TAO was initially impacted by the market crash that dragged down most cryptocurrencies on Oct. 10, its subsequent comeback defied the prevailing bearish mood.
As of Oct. 29, the token was trading at around $425, with technical indicators sending cautiously optimistic signals. If the bullish momentum holds, TAO is poised to climb toward $470, CCN analyst Victor Olanrewaju observed.
As observed by CCN analyst Victor Olanrewaju, if bullish momentum holds, TAO is poised to climb toward $470.
Trending Projects Boost Subnet Token Market Cap
In addition to Bittensor’s native currency, TAO, each subnet of the decentralized AI platform has its own token.
With 128 subnets and counting, the combined market capitalization of these tokens has climbed to $4.4 billion as of October 2025. Adding that to TAO’s market cap, the total value locked in the Bittensor ecosystem stands at $8.8 billion.
In a sign that Bittensor users are increasingly bullish about subnets, a growing number of stakers are opting to receive subnet tokens in lieu of TAO by participating in Alpha pools.
While the amount of TAO staked in Alpha pools has been climbing consistently throughout 2025, “Root” staking has declined during the same period.
Recent interest in subnet tokens has been fueled by the success of trending projects. These include the AI-powered sports prediction engine Sportstensor and Sundae Bar, an agent marketplace whose token has surged by nearly 900% in October.
James Morales is CCN’s blockchain and crypto policy reporter. He has been working in the news media since 2020, writing about topics such as payments, banking and financial technology. These days, he likes to explore the latest blockchain innovations and the evolving landscape of global crypto regulation.
With an educational background in social anthropology and media studies, James uses his platform as a journalist to explore how new technologies work, why they matter and how they might shape our future.
