How to Bridge
(TAO ↔ wTAO and Alpha ↔ wALPHA transfers between Bittensor and Solana)
1. What the Bridge Does
TAO and every subnet’s Alpha can be moved off Bittensor, wrapped as SPL, and used in Solana.
The bridge is non-custodial—tokens are programmatically locked on one chain and then minted or unlocked on the destination chain in the same atomic transaction.
2. What You Need Before You Start
Phantom wallet for Solana (browser extension or mobile).
Bittensor wallet/hotkey for on‑chain signing.
Enough token balance plus gas for both networks.
For Alpha only: know which validator currently holds your stake and the validator’s transferStake minimum (the smallest amount that can be re‑delegated).
Bridging TAO → wTAO (Bittensor → Solana)
Open bridge.voidai.com and connect your Bittensor and Phantom wallets.
Choose Direction: “Bittensor → Solana”, Token: TAO.
Enter the TAO amount and your Solana address; review the auto‑calculated bridge + gas fees.
Click Bridge, sign in to your Bittensor wallet, wait 12–15 seconds for chain confirmation, and allow about five minutes for wTAO to appear in Phantom.
Track progress in Recent Transactions or via the block‑explorer link.
4. Bridging Alpha → wALPHA (Bittensor → Solana)
Extra validator logic applies; read carefully.
Same site and wallet connections as above.
Select the subnet that issued your Alpha, then choose a destination validator from the bridge’s dropdown (default is VoidAI validator).
Check transfer stake: ensure the amount you want to move meets or exceeds the minimum required by your current validator. (Example: if Validator B only transfers ≥ 50 α and you try to bridge 20 α, the transaction will revert.)
If needed, re‑delegate your Alpha to a validator with a lower minimum, or bridge a larger amount.
After the validator checks pass, confirm, sign, and monitor as TAO.
5. Reverse Bridging (Solana → Bittensor)
Choose “Solana → Bittensor”, pick wTAO or wALPHA, fill in your Bittensor address, and sign with Phantom.
For Alpha, also specify the target subnet and chosen validator on Bittensor (select a reputable one).
Tokens will be burned on Solana and then unlocked/re‑delegated on Bittensor, allowing up to ten minutes in total.
6. Security & Best Practices
Validator due diligence: high uptime, positive community reputation, adequate self‑stake.
Double-check addresses on both chains every time—no edits are allowed once signed.
Transfer limits: Be aware of the minimum and maximum amounts set by the protocol and by your validator.
Gas buffer: maintain a small reserve of TAO and SOL to account for fluctuating network fees.
7. Troubleshooting Quick Hits
Wallet won’t connect: refresh page or restart browser; ensure extensions are unlocked.
Transaction stuck: wait one confirmation cycle. If there is no update after 15 minutes, open the explorer link or ping support.
Alpha bridge fails instantly: amount is below your validator’s transferStake minimum—redelegate or bridge more.
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