# Protocol Changes

Recent and upcoming protocol-level changes on Bittensor, each with a full explainer.

_Source: https://beta.taostats.io/docs/concepts/protocol-changes_

_Last reviewed: 2026-09-23_

Recent and upcoming protocol-level changes on Bittensor, each with a full explainer.

- [Root Reborn](https://beta.taostats.io/docs/concepts/protocol-changes/root-reborn/tldr) — Root dividends held in the validator's basket of subnet alpha, rebalanced by trading.
- [Conviction v2](https://beta.taostats.io/docs/concepts/protocol-changes/conviction-v2) — The revised conviction-locking mechanism (PR #2658).
- [Price-based emission shares](https://beta.taostats.io/docs/concepts/protocol-changes/price-based-emission-shares) — Subnet emissions switched to price-based shares (PRs #2779 + #2781).
- [The emission gate](https://beta.taostats.io/docs/concepts/protocol-changes/emission-gate) — Emission gating mechanics (spec 440).
- [Miner collateral](https://beta.taostats.io/docs/concepts/protocol-changes/miner-collateral) — Collateral requirements for miners (PRs #2953 + #2960).
- [Runtime 445](https://beta.taostats.io/docs/concepts/protocol-changes/runtime-445) — Fees recycled not paid to authors, miner-burn scaling restored, EVM precompile expansion (spec 445).
- [Shorting](https://beta.taostats.io/docs/concepts/protocol-changes/shorting) — Fixed-Liability Covered Continuous-Unwind shorting model (PR #2764).