InitialNetworkRateLimit

Constant v133 → current u64

Rate limits new subnet creation.

Current Value

7200
Relevant for: subnet ownersdevelopers

The Big Picture

Creating subnets costs TAO (lock or burn), but that alone doesn't prevent a wealthy actor from spamming subnet creation. This constant adds a time-based rate limit - after someone creates a subnet, everyone must wait this many blocks before another can be created. This prevents network flooding while allowing legitimate subnet growth.

Why This Matters

If you're planning to create a subnet, check when the last one was created. You might need to wait for the rate limit to expire before your registration succeeds.

Example

With NetworkRateLimit of 100 blocks (~20 minutes), if someone created subnet 50 at block 1,000,000, no one can create subnet 51 until block 1,000,100. Your register_network call will fail if submitted too soon.

Common Questions

Does this limit apply per account or globally?
Globally. One person creating a subnet affects everyone's ability to create subnets for the rate limit period.
What happens if I submit during the rate limit?
Your transaction fails with an error. No TAO is consumed. Retry after the limit expires.

Use Cases

  • Subnet creation
  • Rate limiting

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 });

// Query InitialNetworkRateLimit constant
const value = api.consts[stringCamelCase("SubtensorModule")][stringCamelCase("InitialNetworkRateLimit")];
console.log("InitialNetworkRateLimit:", value.toHuman());

// Convert RAO to TAO if this is a balance value
const taoValue = value.toBigInt() / BigInt(1e9);
console.log("TAO:", taoValue.toString());

Type Information

Type
u64
Byte Size
8 bytes
Encoding
fixed
Raw Hex
0x201c000000000000

Runtime Info

Pallet
SubtensorModule
First Version
v133
Latest Version
v133
Current Runtime
v393