# Bittensor Staking Strategies: Free and Premium Compare the ten Stakao strategies: Auto Validators and Smart DCA on the Free plan, plus eight Premium strategies. How to choose, switch and start. Last updated: 2026-10-13 Canonical HTML: https://stakao.com/docs/strategies Raw Markdown: https://stakao.com/docs/strategies.md Start here: [Strategies](https://stakao.com/strategies): Compare the ten strategies and start one. ## Table of contents - 01. [The ten Bittensor staking strategies at a glance](#ten-strategies) - 02. [Free plan: you pick the subnets](#free-plan) - 03. [Premium: a suggestion, then the risk engine](#premium-strategies) - 04. [How to choose a strategy](#how-to-choose) - 05. [Requirements and prices](#requirements-and-prices) - 06. [Switch or stop](#switch-or-stop) ## 01. The ten Bittensor staking strategies at a glance Two strategies are free and eight are Premium. All of them run through the same staking-only permission. - [Auto Validators](https://stakao.com/strategies/auto-validators): You choose the subnets and the split. Stakao keeps your stake with strong validators. - [Smart DCA](https://stakao.com/strategies/smart-dca): Build your position step by step in the subnets you choose. - [Quant Core](https://stakao.com/strategies/quant-core): A data-driven score picks the subnets; the risk engine protects every position. - [AI Agent](https://stakao.com/strategies/ai-agent): An AI agent picks the subnets; the risk engine protects every position with a stop-loss and a profit lock. - [Top 10 Market Cap](https://stakao.com/strategies/top-10-subnets): The 10 largest Bittensor subnets by market cap, each position protected by a stop-loss. - [Top 20 Market Cap](https://stakao.com/strategies/top-20-subnets): The 20 largest Bittensor subnets by market cap, for broader exposure with a stop-loss on each position. - [Compute](https://stakao.com/strategies/compute-subnets): Compute, GPU, cloud and storage subnets, each position protected by a stop-loss. - [Inference / Training](https://stakao.com/strategies/inference-subnets): Subnets that run, train and feed AI models, each position protected by a stop-loss. - [Market Intelligence](https://stakao.com/strategies/market-intelligence-subnets): Forecasting, trading and market-intelligence subnets, each position protected by a stop-loss. - [Agents](https://stakao.com/strategies/agent-subnets): Subnets building AI agents and coding tools, each position protected by a stop-loss. ## 02. Free plan: you pick the subnets Auto Validators and Smart DCA put you in charge of the subnets. Stakao handles the rest. These two strategies do not use the risk engine, so they have no stop-loss and no profit lock. You decide which subnets to hold and when to leave. - Auto Validators: you choose the subnets and the split. Stakao keeps your stake with strong validators. - Smart DCA: you choose the subnets and a schedule (daily, weekly, biweekly or monthly). Stakao enters step by step and picks the validators for you. ## 03. Premium: a suggestion, then the risk engine The eight Premium strategies differ in who suggests the subnets. The protection is the same for all of them. The AI agent, the quant score or the basket rule only suggests subnets. It cannot buy, sell or touch your keys. A rules-based risk engine decides what to buy, how much and when to sell. The same rules apply to every wallet. A stop-loss limits losses but cannot remove them: in a thin market, a sale can fill below the stop price. - AI Agent: an AI agent reads market data and subnet news and suggests subnets. - Quant Core: a data-driven quant score ranks the subnets. - Top 10 Market Cap and Top 20 Market Cap: follow the largest subnets by market cap. - Compute, Inference / Training, Agents and Market Intelligence: themes that group the subnets of one area of Bittensor. - [Risk engine](https://stakao.com/docs/risk-engine): Stop-loss, profit lock and how every position is protected. ## 04. How to choose a strategy Start from how much control you want. Every Premium strategy is protected by the same risk engine, so the choice comes down to who suggests the subnets. Staking and subnet tokens carry risk. Choose what you understand, and start with an amount you can afford to see move. - You want to pick the subnets yourself: Auto Validators, or Smart DCA if you prefer to enter step by step. - You want the AI to pick: AI Agent. - You prefer a data-driven score: Quant Core. - You want to follow the biggest subnets: Top 10 or Top 20 Market Cap. - You believe in one area, such as compute or agents: choose that theme. ## 05. Requirements and prices You need 2 TAO in the wallet, with at least 0.1 TAO free for fees. - Free plan: Auto Validators and Smart DCA. No credit card. - Premium: €19 per month, or €168 per year (€14 per month), with a 7-day free trial. It includes all eight Premium strategies and 4 wallets. - Extra wallets cost €4 per month each (maximum 20). - Stakao never takes a cut of your staking rewards. - [Pricing](https://stakao.com/pricing): The Free plan and Premium, with a 7-day free trial. ## 06. Switch or stop You can change strategy without starting over, or stop at any time. - To switch between Premium strategies, open your dashboard and choose Modify. Stakao changes the strategy for you, and you do not sign anything new. - Modify lists the Premium strategies. To move between a Free strategy and a Premium one, deactivate the current strategy, then activate the other. - To stop, deactivate the strategy. This unstakes your positions and removes the permission. - [Withdraw and deactivate](https://stakao.com/docs/withdraw-and-deactivate): Stop a strategy, unstake your TAO and revoke access. ## Related Stakao references - [How Stakao works](https://stakao.com/how-it-works): Connect, choose and stay protected: the three steps. - [Pricing](https://stakao.com/pricing): The Free plan and Premium, with a 7-day free trial. - [Getting started](https://stakao.com/docs/getting-started): Create an account, connect a wallet and activate a strategy. - [Risk engine](https://stakao.com/docs/risk-engine): Stop-loss, profit lock and how every position is protected. - [Root and fees](https://stakao.com/docs/root-and-fees): Root staking rewards, validators and what you pay. - [Withdraw and deactivate](https://stakao.com/docs/withdraw-and-deactivate): Stop a strategy, unstake your TAO and revoke access. ## Related blog articles - [Best Bittensor subnets](https://stakao.com/blog/best-bittensor-subnets): How to look at the subnets worth holding. - [How to invest in Bittensor subnets](https://stakao.com/blog/how-to-invest-in-bittensor-subnets): The ways to get exposure to subnet tokens. - [Smart DCA staking](https://stakao.com/blog/smart-dca-staking): Build a position step by step instead of all at once. - [AI agent staking](https://stakao.com/blog/ai-agent-staking): How an AI agent suggests subnets while a risk engine decides. - [Quant subnet staking](https://stakao.com/blog/quant-subnet-staking): How a quant score ranks subnets from market data.