Bolts are BitRobot's record of what you contribute across the network. This guide covers the mechanics: how they're calculated, how subnets and epochs affect them, what earns the most, and what doesn't count as users contribute to the open robotics lab on app.bitrobot.ai.

The short version. Bolts are a capped, non-inflationary offchain points system for BitRobot's pre-mainnet phase. They are not tokens, cryptocurrency or virtual assets, and holding them is not a claim on one. 

The two-layer structure

Contribution is measured at two levels:

The relationship between them is the core mechanic: your share of a subnet's Subnet Points determines your share of that subnet's Bolt distribution.

So Bolts don't flow to you directly from a task. Each subnet receives an allocation of Bolts, and that allocation is divided among its contributors according to their share of that subnet's points. Contribute 5% of a subnet's points in a period, and you receive 5% of the Bolts allocated to it.

How often Bolts are distributed varies by subnet

Subnet owners convert Subnet Points into Bolt distributions on their own schedule — some distribute daily, others every 15 days, and the cadence may change as a subnet matures. There is no single network-wide payout schedule.

Bolts show up in your Access ID (navigate to 'Profile' on the BitRobot app) once your subnet processes them. A subnet that distributes daily updates your total daily; one that distributes every 15 days updates it on that cycle. As of Aug 12, the following subnets distribute Bolts from Subnet Points earned based on the following cadence:

Bolts will be disbursed on each distribution cadence between 2:00 - 2:15 PM UTC (3:00 - 3:15 PM UTC after Daylight Saving Time ends).

Subnet multipliers

Not every subnet is weighted equally. Subnets that generate more commercial value for the network receive higher weighting through dynamic multipliers, which increase the Bolt allocation flowing to that subnet.

Multipliers are not fixed. As the network's priorities change — for example, a new data category becomes urgent or an existing one saturates — weightings shift to follow. A subnet that is critical during one period may carry less weight later.

Practically, this means two contributors doing comparable amounts of work in different subnets may earn different Bolt totals. The multiplier is the network signaling where contribution is most needed.

Epochs

BitRobot evolves in epochs of 30 days. Each epoch is an opportunity for the network to adjust priorities, rebalance incentives, onboard new subnets, and respond to where the ecosystem needs to grow.

What changes at an epoch boundary:

• Subnet multipliers may be adjusted

• New subnets may come online

• Epoch-specific badges close and retire permanently

• Incentive structures may be rebalanced

What doesn't change: the work you already did. Bolts earned in an epoch are recognized in that epoch. Long-term standing, though, comes from showing up across multiple epochs as the network evolves — consistency is what the ranking system is built to reward.

What earns Bolts

Bolts are earned through meaningful participation across the ecosystem:

Subnet contribution — participating in robotics data collection tasks. This is the primary path and the bulk of distribution.

Referrals — 10% of what your direct referrals earn, additive rather than deducted from theirs. One level deep only: if someone you referred, brings in another contributor, you earn nothing from that second chain. Referrals generate rewards only when referred contributors do legitimate subnet work.

Approved ecosystem campaigns — time-bound programs announced as they launch.

Legacy contributions — activity in earlier BitRobot subnets, claimable as Legacy Bolts. Eligible subnets include ET Fugi, TeleArms (including work on XLeRobot, LeKiwi, RoboPlayground), SeeSaw and Axis Robotics.

Special recognition — awards tied to ecosystem contribution, such as reaching certain access levels or contributing as an ambassador.

What doesn't count

Not every submission earns. The following don't generate Subnet Points or Bolts:

• Rejected data — submissions that fail a subnet's quality checks. Failed attempts carry no penalty; they simply earn nothing.

• Duplicate or near-duplicate submissions — repeated captures of the same scene, task, or trajectory, detected at ingestion.

• Low-effort or random activity — sessions that don't constitute a genuine attempt at the mission.

• Referrals who never contribute — a signup that produces no subnet work produces no referral Bolts. Headcount earns nothing.

• Activity flagged as sybil or fraudulent — including multi-accounting, automated submission, and coordinated farming.

Repetition is worth calling out directly. A subnet's task slots are finite, and an account filling them with near-identical submissions crowds out contributors who would have brought a different environment, a different pair of hands, or a different failure — which is the entire point of a distributed network. Breadth across subnets and scenarios is worth more than volume in one.

BitRobot reviews activity for sybil behavior, spam, and fraudulent participation before TGE. Illegitimate activity may be removed from the system entirely, including Bolts already credited.

Status labels

Cumulative Bolts determine your Access ID Status Label. Status is based on lifetime Bolts earned.

Your status appears on your profile and on ecosystem leaderboards.

Badges

Badges mark milestones, including: contributing to new subnets, maintaining activity streaks, participating in specific epochs, and other ecosystem achievements.

Some are commemorative. Others may carry weight later as the network matures. Epoch-specific badges can only be earned during that epoch and are permanently retired once it closes.

On Bolts and Tokens

Bolts are designed for BitRobot's pre-mainnet phase. They coordinate participation, bootstrap activity across subnets, and create a record of contribution before the network's long-term system comes online. 

Bolts are a record of contribution, not a financial instrument. They're non-transferable and non-tradeable, can't be bought or sold, and don't represent equity or ownership in BitRobot. Bolts do not have intrinsic value, nor are they exchangeable for cash or monetary rewards.

We can't promise what Bolts will mean later. If BitRobot runs future ecosystem programs, contribution history may be one of the things considered — but holding Bolts doesn't entitle you to any allocation, and there's no conversion rate between Bolts and anything else. If such a program happens, we'll publish who's eligible and how it works, in advance.

What Bolts do today is straightforward: they record the robotics work you did, the contributions you bring to growing the network, and the standing you earned for doing it. Have questions? Check out our FAQs for the app and Bolts program here.

Create you Access ID card to join our Lab and earn Bolts: app.bitrobot.ai.