Bitget Taps Barry Silbert's Yuma to Power TAO Staking
Bitget announced a partnership with Yuma, Digital Currency Group's dedicated Bittensor subsidiary, to bring seamless TAO staking to its global user base of 125 million. The collaboration positions Yuma as Bitget's validator service provider on the Bittensor network, giving retail users institutional-grade access to decentralized AI staking rewards estimated at 6% to 9% annually.
The announcement came on February 13, 2026, as Bittensor continues to attract heavyweight infrastructure partners following its first-ever reward halving in December 2025.
Why DCG Is Betting Big on Bittensor
Yuma is not a scrappy startup validator. It is a full subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, the conglomerate behind Grayscale, CoinDesk, and Genesis. DCG launched Yuma in November 2024 with Barry Silbert serving as CEO, signaling that the group views decentralized AI as a core thesis rather than a side bet.
Since launch, Yuma has grown into one of the largest contributors to the Bittensor ecosystem. It actively validates across more than 120 subnets, mines on several others, and runs a subnet accelerator program that helps new AI services launch on the network. In 2025, Yuma onboarded eight institutional validator partners including BitGo, Copper, and Crypto.com, building the connective tissue between traditional finance and decentralized intelligence.
The asset management arm, Yuma Asset Management, launched two flagship funds anchored by a $10 million DCG investment: the Yuma Subnet Composite Fund and the Yuma Large Cap Subnet Fund. When the parent company of Grayscale starts running subnet investment vehicles, it is worth paying attention.
The Post-Halving Supply Squeeze
Timing matters. Bittensor completed its first reward halving on December 15, 2025, cutting daily token issuance from 7,200 TAO to 3,600 TAO. This mirrors Bitcoin's disinflationary model and has a direct impact on staking economics: fewer new tokens entering circulation means existing stakers capture a larger share of network rewards.
TAO currently trades around $155 with a market cap near $1.5 billion, ranking it among the top 50 cryptocurrencies. The token hit an all-time high of $757 in late 2024 and has since pulled back alongside the broader market correction. For stakers earning 6% to 9% APY, the post-halving environment offers a potentially favorable risk-reward profile, though token price volatility remains a significant factor.
It is worth noting that staking yield does not exist in a vacuum. If TAO's price drops 20% while you earn 8% in staking rewards, you are still underwater. This is the same dynamic that affects any token-denominated staking program, whether it is CRO on Crypto.com or PLU on Plutus. The yield compensates for locking capital, but it does not eliminate market risk.
Bittensor's 129 Subnets and the Decentralized AI Thesis
For readers unfamiliar with Bittensor, the network operates through specialized sub-networks called "subnets," each designed for a specific AI task: text generation, image recognition, data storage, fraud detection, compute provisioning, or even protein folding predictions. The network currently runs 129 active subnets, with a 2026 roadmap targeting a doubling of the subnet cap from 128 to 256.
Validators like Yuma evaluate the quality of work produced by miners across these subnets and distribute TAO rewards based on performance. This creates a marketplace where AI services compete on quality rather than branding, and where anyone with computing power can contribute.
The institutional appeal is straightforward: centralized AI (OpenAI, Google, Anthropic) requires massive capital expenditure on data centers and chips. Bittensor distributes that burden across a global network of participants, theoretically reducing costs while increasing resilience. Whether this model can produce AI services that compete with centralized alternatives remains an open question, but the capital flowing into the thesis suggests serious players are willing to bet it can.
What This Means for Bitget Users
For Bitget's 125 million users, the practical impact is simple: TAO staking becomes accessible through the exchange's existing interface, backed by Yuma's institutional-grade validator infrastructure with its siloed architecture, real-time monitoring, and 24/7 uptime guarantees.
This follows a pattern across the exchange landscape. Uphold already offers TAO staking through Yuma. BitGo provides it to institutional clients. Crypto.com is among Yuma's eight onboarded validator partners. The trend is clear: major platforms are racing to offer Bittensor exposure as the decentralized AI narrative gains momentum alongside the broader AI investment cycle.
For crypto card users specifically, the staking angle matters because locked TAO generates yield that can offset card spending costs. If you are already holding TAO on Bitget, staking it through Yuma's validator means your idle tokens are working while you spend elsewhere through products like the Bitget Wallet Card or Bitget Card.
The Institutional Race for Decentralized AI Infrastructure
Bitget's Yuma partnership is one data point in a broader institutional convergence around Bittensor. Grayscale has filed for a Bittensor Trust with the SEC. European ETPs like 21Shares' ATAO and Deutsche Digital Assets' STAO (listed on SIX Swiss Exchange) have already launched. DCG itself is running dedicated investment funds.
This institutional infrastructure buildout echoes the early days of Ethereum staking, when platforms raced to offer ETH staking before the Merge, knowing that first movers would capture sticky deposits. The staking landscape is expanding beyond proof-of-stake L1s into AI-specific networks, and Bittensor is the largest by market cap.
The question is whether the 6% to 9% APY on TAO, combined with the AI narrative tailwind, can sustain the influx of capital. Bittensor's halving reduced supply pressure, but the network still needs to demonstrate that its subnets produce commercially viable AI services. The gap between "interesting research network" and "revenue-generating AI marketplace" is where the risk sits.
FAQ
What is Bittensor (TAO)? Bittensor is a decentralized network where participants collaboratively train, evaluate, and utilize AI models through specialized sub-networks called subnets. TAO is its native token, used for staking, governance, and rewarding contributors.
What APY does TAO staking offer on Bitget? Current estimates range from 6% to 9% annually, though actual returns depend on network conditions, validator performance, and the total amount of TAO staked across the network.
Who is Yuma? Yuma is a subsidiary of Digital Currency Group (DCG), the parent company of Grayscale and CoinDesk. It was launched in November 2024 with DCG founder Barry Silbert as CEO, focused entirely on accelerating Bittensor's decentralized AI ecosystem.
Does TAO staking carry risks? Yes. TAO is a volatile cryptocurrency and staking yields are denominated in TAO, not dollars. A price decline can more than offset staking rewards. There is also validator risk and potential lock-up periods that limit liquidity.
Overview
Bitget's partnership with DCG subsidiary Yuma to offer TAO staking marks another step in the institutional embrace of Bittensor's decentralized AI network. With 125 million users gaining access to 6% to 9% staking yields through institutional-grade validator infrastructure, the deal expands retail participation in what has been primarily an institutional play. The post-halving supply reduction, Grayscale trust filings, and European ETP launches paint a picture of a network rapidly maturing beyond its research origins. Whether Bittensor's 129 subnets can deliver on the promise of commercially competitive decentralized AI remains the central question, but the capital betting on that outcome is growing fast.
Recommended Reading
- Bitget and BlockSec Release the UEX Security Standard, Setting a New Benchmark for Asset Protection Across Crypto and TradFi
- Ethereum's Staking Ratio Surpasses 30% for the First Time, Locking $120 Billion and Tightening Liquid Supply
- Gemini Staking Goes Live in New York, Unlocking Crypto Yield in America's Toughest Regulatory Market
