set_identity

Call v136 → current #0

Registers or updates identity metadata for an account.

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Call Workflow

set_identity

1. Validation

Signature, nonce, mortality, fees

Signature

Nonce

Mortality

Fee payment

2. Pre-dispatch

Permission & state checks

Permission checks

State validation

3. Dispatch

Execute logic, modify state

IdentitySet IdentityOf

4. Post-dispatch

Final result & fee settlement

ExtrinsicSuccess

Fees settled

Svelte Flow

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Used by: validatorssubnet ownersdevelopersanalytics

The Big Picture

Identity registration lets you attach human-readable metadata to your on-chain account. This is useful for validators who want to be discoverable, subnet owners who want to provide contact information, or anyone building reputation in the ecosystem. The deposit requirement prevents spam and is fully refundable when you clear your identity.

Why This Matters

Anonymous accounts are hard to trust. By registering identity metadata, you make yourself discoverable and verifiable. Validators with identities get more delegations because stakers can research who they're trusting with their TAO.

Example Scenario

You're running a validator and want delegators to find you. Call set_identity with your display name 'Bittensor Labs', your email, and your website. Now when stakers browse validators, they can see who you are and verify your identity off-chain.

Common Questions

How much does it cost to register?: You pay InitialDeposit plus FieldDeposit for each additional field. This is reserved (not burned) and returned when you clear your identity.
What information can I include?: Standard fields include display name, legal name, web URL, email, Twitter handle, and additional custom fields up to MaxAdditionalFields.
Can I update my identity?: Yes, calling set_identity again overwrites the previous identity. The deposit is adjusted based on the new field count.

Use Cases

Register your validator identity with display name and contact info
Update your account's metadata for ecosystem discovery
Add verifiable information to your coldkey for reputation
Provide contact info for subnet owner communication

Part of: Identity Registry

Input Parameters

#	Name	Type	Description
0	identified	AccountId	identified (AccountId) (hex -> SS58)
1	info	IdentityInfo	info (IdentityInfo)

Permissions

Origin

Unknown

Required Role

Any

Permission data inferred from metadata. May be incomplete.

Requirements

Signer has sufficient balance for deposit (InitialDeposit + FieldDeposit per field)
Number of additional fields does not exceed MaxAdditionalFields
Identity info is well-formed and valid

Effects

Events Emitted

IdentitySet

Storage Modified

IdentityOf

Postconditions

Identity is stored in IdentityOf storage
Deposit is reserved from account balance
Previous identity (if any) is overwritten

Side Effects

Emits IdentitySet event
Reserves TAO as deposit (returned when identity is cleared)

Code Examples

import { ApiPromise, WsProvider } from "@polkadot/api";
import { stringCamelCase } from "@polkadot/util";

const provider = new WsProvider("wss://entrypoint-finney.opentensor.ai:443");
const api = await ApiPromise.create({ provider });

// Build set_identity call
const identified = "5GrwvaEF5zXb26Fz9rcQpDWS57CtERHpNehXCPcNoHGKutQY";
const info = 0 as any /* IdentityInfo */;

const call = api.tx[stringCamelCase("Registry")][stringCamelCase("set_identity")](
  identified,
  info
);

Runtime Info

View Source

Pallet Index: 17
Call Index: 0
First Version: v136
Current Version: v393

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