> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://trustedstake.gitbook.io/trustedstake/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://trustedstake.gitbook.io/trustedstake/basics/frequently-asked-questions.md). # Frequently Asked Questions ### General Questions **Q: What is TrustedStake?** \ \ A: TrustedStake is a permissionless, non-custodial staking and investing platform within the Bittensor ecosystem. It functions as the alpha strategy marketplace for $TAO. Investors can shop and delegate to curated index strategies, and managers can build, launch, and monetize their own. Built for investors, custodians, trading communities, quants, bots and agents. {% hint style="info" %} See [Who and What is TrustedStake?](/trustedstake/getting-started/who-and-what-is-trustedstake.md) {% endhint %} **Q: How does TrustedStake work?** \ \ A: TrustedStake uses the Substrate Proxy Pallet to enable trustless delegation of TAO staking permissions. The platform manages staking allocations on your behalf without ever accessing or controlling your tokens or keys. Allocations across our core indices, community strategies, and user-built portfolios are managed automatically by our proprietary trading engine and rebalancer.
**Q: Is TrustedStake secure?** \ \ A: Security is the platform's backbone. Specifically: * Non-custodial design. Your assets remain in your control. TrustedStake never holds funds, and there is no smart-contract risk, delegation runs through the native Substrate Proxy Pallet. Your keys, your funds, your control, always. * Robust key management. Controller keys are stored in end-to-end encrypted environments, isolated from our application cluster. No static keys are left unmonitored. * Active monitoring and anomaly detection. We monitor for threats and detect anomalies in real time, with the ability to intervene with 0 user interaction needed before issues escalate. * Rapid key rotation. Our infrastructure can rotate keys in seconds with zero user impact. This has been exercised in production multiple times. * Ledger-secured constituent management. Changes to our core indices require a hardware Ledger to sign, so unauthorized alterations are not possible even if other layers are reached. * Multi-sig support for custodians. When adding TrustedStake as a staking proxy, custodians can use a multi-sig wallet so that no single signer can authorize delegation, or strategy edits unilaterally. This is the recommended setup for institutional capital, fund-managed positions, and any large custodian who wants an additional independent signing layer. * Doxxed team and senior cyber expertise. Our founding engineer brings 6+ years of cybersecurity experience building threat-detection pipelines. [Meet the team](https://trustedstake.ai/team). {% hint style="info" %} See [Security.](/trustedstake/basics/editor.md) {% endhint %} *** ### Build (custom strategies) **Q: What is Build?** \ \ A: Build is the multi-step flow any user can run to create a subnet investing strategy from scratch. You define the name, description, privacy, rebalancing mode, constituents, weighting method, and delegation choice, and then either save it as a draft or launch it live. \ \ See [Build Your Fund Portfolio](http://build-your-fund-portfolio.md).
**Q: Can I build a strategy just for myself?** A: Yes. Mark the strategy private during Build, choose "Yes, delegate my wallet" at launch, and only your wallet will be in the strategy. You still get the full TrustedStake rebalancing engine, slippage guards, MEV shielding, and proxy security — visibility is the only thing that changes.
**Q: What's the difference between a public and a private strategy?** A: Public strategies appear on the TrustedStake community strategies page and anyone can delegate. Private strategies are not listed — only wallets you whitelist directly, or wallets that join via a shareable invite link, can delegate.
**Q: Can I save my work and finish the strategy later?** A: Yes. The Build wizard supports Save as draft at any step. Drafts are stored against your wallet and can be resumed and launched whenever you're ready.
**Q: Can I edit a strategy after I launch it?** A: Yes. Every Build option — name, description, privacy, rebalance mode, constituents, weighting method — is editable from the [Index Manager Dashboard](http://index-manager-dashboard.md) via the Edit Strategy button. Quick Reweight is the fast path when only the weights need to change. *** ### Risk Classification **Q: What's the difference between "Risk On" and "Risk Averse" strategies?** A: Risk On strategies invest your principal TAO directly into subnet alpha tokens and are subject to market volatility. Risk Averse strategies only invest the risk-free root yield while keeping your principal completely safe. Both approaches are supported across our indices and Build flow. See [Risk Classification System](http://basics/risk-classification-system.md).
**Q: Is my principal TAO at risk with TrustedStake indexes?** A: It depends on the strategy type. Risk On: your principal is converted to subnet tokens and is subject to market volatility. Risk Averse: your principal remains intact and only risk-free root yield is invested.
**Q: Do past returns guarantee future performance?** A: No. All investments in Bittensor subnets carry inherent risks, and returns can vary significantly based on market conditions, subnet performance, and ecosystem developments.
*** ### Rebalancing **Q: How often are indexes rebalanced?** A: Index rebalancing runs daily when threshold conditions are met. The threshold is calibrated against wallet size, drift from target weights, and more for optimal execution. This applies to all core indices and to community/user-built strategies on auto rebalance. See [Trading Engine and Rebalancer](http://basics/trading-engine-and-rebalancer.md). **Q: Who decides when to rebalance my core index?** A: Rebalancing decisions are fully automated by our algorithmic trading engine, based on predefined criteria and real-time market conditions—except in cases of manual constituent replacements for subnets within an index. This approach eliminates human emotion and bias, delivering consistent, data-driven portfolio management.
**Q: What's the difference between auto rebalance and manual rebalance?** A: Auto rebalance uses the prepackaged trading infrastructure: hourly threshold checks, wallet-sensitive TWAP/DCA, slippage guards, price-impact controls, and MEV shielding. It's the right mode for most investors and managers. \ Manual rebalance is for active traders. It bypasses TWAP scaling so trades execute in seconds to minutes rather than scaling slowly with pool depth. Day traders running multiple subnet trades per session typically use manual. **Q: What protections are built into the trading engine?** A: Every trade — across both auto and manual rebalance — is routed through internal slippage guards, price-impact sensitivity controls, and proprietary MEV shielding. Auto rebalance additionally uses wallet-sensitive TWAP/DCA for scaling.
**Q: Can I force an immediate rebalance?** A: Yes — strategy managers can. From any strategy detail view in the Index Manager, the Rebalance Now button triggers an immediate rebalance for every delegator in the strategy. It's most useful right after submitting strategy edits, when you want all delegators rebalanced before the next epoch. *** ### Weighting methods **Q: What weighting methods are supported?** A: Three: * Market cap weighted — pulls live market cap for every constituent and weights accordingly. * Equal weighted — every constituent receives the same weight, computed from the count of constituents. * Custom weighted — you set the weight on each constituent yourself.
**Q: Can I change the weighting method later?** A: Yes. Quick Reweight in the Index Manager lets you switch between custom and market cap and submit new weights without going through the full Build wizard. Edit Strategy is the path if you want to change other parameters at the same time. **Q: What is the "root allocation"?** A: The portion of the strategy held in Root TAO versus subnet alpha tokens. It functions as the strategy's reserve / bond-equivalent position. *** ### Index Manager **Q: What is the Index Manager Dashboard?** A: The signed-in surface for managing strategies after launch. Performance tracking, delegator management, share-link distribution, rebalance triggers, and strategy edits all live there. See [Index Manager Dashboard](http://index-manager-dashboard.md).
**Q: Who can sign in to the Index Manager?** A: Any wallet that has been whitelisted as a manager on a strategy. By default, the launching wallet is the manager.
**Q: How do I onboard a community to a private strategy?** A: Two paths: (1) Direct whitelist — from the dashboard, click Add to whitelist, select the strategy, and paste the wallet address. (2) Share link — use Share Strategy to generate a private invite link with configurable usage limits (one-time, fixed, unlimited) and an expiry (one day to never, or a custom date). Distribute the link to your community. **Q: Can I track my delegators?** A: Yes. The dashboard shows every delegator across all your strategies, with outbound links to TaoMarketCap for deeper wallet info. Export CSV generates a clean delegator list across all strategies for tracking and reporting.
**Q: Can I remove a delegator?** A: Yes. From a strategy's Delegators tab, you can remove wallets that are not following community rules or paying fees on time.
**Q: What is the Live Portfolio Tracker?** A: A tool inside the strategy detail view that lets you track the drift of any wallet of your choosing in real time, relative to your strategy's last-set target weights. Built for managers who want to see how far a live benchmark wallet has moved since the last reweight or portfolio adjustment.
**Q: What benchmark do you compare strategies to?** A: The Sum of Subnets (SOS) — a running aggregate of the broader subnet ecosystem. SOS is the natural benchmark for any subnet investing strategy. **Q: Can I share performance with off-chain investors?** A: Yes. Each strategy has an Export performance report function that generates a clean, presentable report of AUM, ROI, drawdown, SOS benchmark performance, and allocation breakdown. *** ### Staking Process **Q: How do I start staking with TrustedStake?** A: Connect your wallet to the [TrustedStake app](https://app.trustedstake.ai) and delegate the necessary permissions. See the [Quickstart](http://getting-started/quickstart.md) for step-by-step instructions.
**Q: Can I withdraw my TAO at any time?** A: Yes. Undelegating or revoking the proxy immediately stops the child-hotkey reward share — your principal is never locked. **Q: How does TrustedStake allocate my stake?** A: Allocations are governed by the strategy you delegate to. Core indices use a weighted allocation model based on each subnet's KPIs. Community and user-built strategies use whatever weighting method the manager configured (market cap, equal, or custom). Across all strategies, the trading engine dynamically responds to market conditions to optimize execution. *** ### Security and Control **Q: Do I lose control of my tokens when I delegate to TrustedStake?** A: No. TrustedStake is non-custodial. Delegators retain full control. TrustedStake can only perform staking operations as per the permissions delegated through the Substrate Proxy Pallet — it cannot transfer or move custody of funds. **Q: What happens if TrustedStake's proxy key is compromised?** A: An attacker would only be able to undelegate or redelegate tokens — they cannot transfer or steal funds. TrustedStake monitors staking activities continuously and can reset the proxy relationship to prevent unauthorized actions. Rapid key rotation is built into the architecture. We have spent over 2 years building security around this attack vector. We have conducted a security audit with Distrust.
**Q: What is the proxy address I should approve?** A: The proxy address is shown on the back of your chosen index (below the constituents) and during the setup process. See the [Quickstart](http://getting-started/quickstart.md) for an example. **Q: Can I add multi-sig?** A: Yes. Custodians and Delegators can add TrustedStake as a staking proxy under a multi-sig wallet. Recommended for institutional setups, large fund-managed positions, or any custodian who wants an additional signing layer.
**Q: How is the manager separated from the stack?** A: When you skip delegation at launch, the manager wallet has authority to edit strategy parameters but holds no TAO. Custodian wallets hold the actual capital and grant the staking-only proxy. This isolates manager-side portfolio decisions from the trade execution layer, removing an entire surface of risk that would otherwise fall on investors. *** ### Performance and Fees **Q: How much does TrustedStake charge in fees?** A: TrustedStake charges a dynamic validator-reward share through our CHK validator. The validator's standard take rate is 9% of dividends earned, with the rest distributed to stakers. Following our partnership with Kraken Institutional, users now experience an average \~26.5% reduction in fees — bringing the effective take rate down to approximately \~6.62% as of May 7, 2026. See [Lets Talk Fees](http://basics/lets-talk-fees.md). The fee is taken only from your staking yield rewards, never from your principal TAO. There are no lock-ups, no escrow, and no performance calculation disputes — the split happens on-chain via Bittensor's child-hotkey mechanism.
**Q: How can I track the performance of my stake?** A: Through the user dashboard on the [TrustedStake app](https://app.trustedstake.ai), which shows investment performance, allocations, and stats with full transparency.
**Q: How does TrustedStake aim to maximize returns?** A: Through proprietary algorithms, deep market analysis, ongoing constituent research, and a trading engine optimized for the realities of subnet liquidity. Strategies are continuously monitored and rebalanced to maintain target alignment.
*** ### Indices **Q: What are TrustedStake's core indices?** A: TrustedStake offers 11+ core indices alongside Build, including the flagship Bittensor Universe Index — an S\&P 500-style strategy spanning 40+ subnets, designed for one-click broad exposure to decentralized AI infrastructure. Additional core indices and community strategies are listed in-app.
**Q: Do the core indices use the same trading engine as Build strategies?** A: Yes. All indices and most community strategies use the same trading engine and rebalancer with hourly threshold checks, wallet-sensitive TWAP/DCA, slippage guards, price-impact controls, and MEV shielding. *** ### Technical Details **Q: What is the Substrate Proxy Pallet?** A: A native Substrate feature that allows trustless delegation of permissions. TrustedStake uses it with the Staking proxy type only — the proxy can stake, undelegate, and redelegate, but cannot transfer or custody tokens. See [Security](/trustedstake/basics/editor.md)
**Q: How does TrustedStake handle the expansion of the Bittensor ecosystem?** A: The system is designed to scale as Bittensor grows. New subnets are continuously evaluated against our [constituent selection criteria](http://basics/trading-engine-and-rebalancer.md) and added to relevant strategies as they meet the bar. *** ### Troubleshooting **Q: My delegator doesn't appear in the strategy yet — how long does it take?** A: New delegations appear in the dashboard once the on-chain transaction confirms. Their first rebalance follows the strategy's normal cadence based on entry time. If you want immediate alignment with current target weights, click Rebalance Now.
**Q: I edited my strategy but delegators haven't rebalanced. Why?** A: Strategy edits rebalance on the next rebalancing epoch by default, with TWAP-aware scaling. To accelerate, click Rebalance Now after submitting your edits.
**Q: I can't sign in to the Index Manager.** A: Confirm you're using a wallet whitelisted as a manager on at least one strategy. If you launched from a different wallet than the one you're trying to sign in with, that's the cause.
*** ### Support and Resources **Q: Where can I find more information about Bittensor?** A: Visit the [Bittensor docs](https://docs.learnbittensor.org/) for ecosystem-level information. **Q: How can I get support?** A: Reach out via Discord or email. * App: [app.trustedstake.ai](https://app.trustedstake.ai) * Site: [trustedstake.ai](https://www.trustedstake.ai/) * Email: * Discord: [discord.gg/tnFPQ8YYk8](https://discord.gg/tnFPQ8YYk8) * X: [@TrustedStake](https://x.com/TrustedStake) **Q: Where can I learn more about the team behind TrustedStake?** A: See [Who and What is TrustedStake?](http://getting-started/who-and-what-is-trustedstake.md) and the team section on our website. *** This FAQ is a living document and is regularly updated. If your question isn't here, drop it in our Discord. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://trustedstake.gitbook.io/trustedstake/basics/frequently-asked-questions.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.