Basilica (SN39)

Overview

Basilica (ticker: SN39) is the native token of the Basilica subnet inside the Bittensor ecosystem. The project’s public website describes Basilica as “developer‑native infrastructure” that lets builders “summon compute” with a simple command‑line flow, signaling a focus on easy access to AI‑class computation for developers and agents. (basilica.ai)

Within Bittensor, each specialized network of miners and validators is called a subnet. SN39 identifies Basilica’s subnet in that system. Under Bittensor’s Dynamic TAO model, every subnet issues its own “alpha” token that trades against TAO (Bittensor’s base asset) and is used to direct incentives and participation inside the subnet. In this context, SN39 functions as Basilica’s alpha token. (docs.bittensor.com)

On market trackers, SN39 is labeled “basilica” and is noted as having rebranded from “w.ai (Parked)” to the Basilica name. This reflects the subnet’s current identity and its alignment with the Basilica compute brand. (coingecko.com)

What makes Basilica notable

• It is part of the post‑2025 Bittensor design where each subnet has its own token and liquidity pool, creating subnet‑level economies that can evolve independently. (docs.bittensor.com)
• Its public messaging highlights instant access to compute from a developer’s terminal, suggesting a simple way to provision resources for AI workloads. (basilica.ai)

History & Team

Basilica’s brand traces back to a San Francisco startup that built an API for machine‑learning “embeddings” (vector representations of images and text). That company participated in Y Combinator’s Winter 2019 batch. Public profiles list the founders as Eric Fung, Jorge Silva, and Michael Lucy. Over time, YC and Crunchbase marked the original API company as inactive/closed. However, the Basilica brand and domain have since resurfaced with a compute‑oriented product and an on‑chain presence as Bittensor Subnet 39. (ycombinator.com)

The current basilica.ai site is minimalist and developer‑focused, exposing a one‑line installer and a “basilica up” command to start infrastructure. This style matches a practical, engineering‑first culture. While the site does not present an extensive team page, the founder names above are widely cited in earlier Basilica materials. As with many open, protocol‑aligned projects, public communication may prioritize code, CLI tooling, and community channels over traditional company bios. (basilica.ai)

On the network side, Basilica is recognized on Bittensor community resources as Subnet 39, sometimes described with the theme of “sacred compute.” The listing reflects its presence in the broader set of specialized subnets that make up the Bittensor environment. (learnbittensor.org)

Technology & How It Works

Basilica as a Bittensor subnet

Bittensor is a decentralized network for AI that organizes work into subnets. Each subnet connects miners (who provide model outputs or services) with validators (who score those outputs and route incentives). Beginning in February 2025, Bittensor introduced Dynamic TAO (dTAO), a major upgrade that gave each subnet its own token and liquidity reserve. That token—called “alpha” in the Bittensor docs—trades against TAO inside an automated market maker (AMM) embedded in the protocol. Basilica’s token, SN39, is the alpha for Subnet 39. (docs.bittensor.com)

Under dTAO, users stake by exchanging TAO for a subnet’s alpha token in that subnet’s pool. This exchange rate adjusts automatically based on the reserves of TAO and alpha held in the pool. No liquidity‑provider fee is charged in these AMMs; liquidity emerges from emissions and staking flows rather than from external LPs. Holders can later swap alpha back for TAO to exit. (bittensor.com)

Emissions and roles

• Miners deliver the subnet’s service (for Basilica, compute and related tasks).
• Validators assess quality and allocate rewards.
• Nominators (delegators) can support validators by delegating TAO or the subnet’s alpha; in return, they share in emissions. Distribution is periodic and follows validator “take” parameters defined on‑chain. (learnbittensor.org)

Emissions for each subnet’s alpha token occur at the block level and are distributed to participants. Over time, the demand for a subnet’s alpha influences how much network issuance it attracts, creating market‑based pressure to deliver useful services. (bittensor.com)

Developer flow and CLI

Basilica’s site exposes a streamlined install script and a single command to bring infrastructure online (“basilica up”). While the site does not provide technical whitepapers, the messaging suggests a developer‑native experience: a CLI first approach for provisioning compute suitable for AI training, fine‑tuning, or inference. In practice, this likely means a flow where developers authenticate, request resources, and receive endpoints or job slots within Basilica’s subnet. The “sacred compute” motif seen on community listings emphasizes reliable, high‑value compute as the subnet’s core output. (basilica.ai)

Tokenomics & Utility

Supply and identity

On public trackers, SN39 is listed with a fixed maximum supply of 21,000,000 tokens and is labeled “basilica (SN39)” following a rebrand from “w.ai (Parked).” The “SN39” label simply denotes that this is the alpha token for Bittensor Subnet 39. (coingecko.com)

Economic model inside dTAO

• Staking mechanism: Users obtain SN39 by staking TAO into Basilica’s AMM pool. This “stake‑as‑swap” design is core to dTAO and is shared across subnets. (docs.bittensor.com)
• Emissions: New SN39 is emitted to miners, validators, and delegators according to on‑chain rules. Subnets that attract more stake and usage tend to gain more emissions, increasing incentives for performance. (bittensor.com)
• Transferability and governance: Whether a subnet’s alpha is freely transferable can be configured by the subnet owner. Governance rights (such as voting on subnet parameters) are up to the subnet’s design; Bittensor’s docs note that dTAO does not itself prescribe subnet governance, leaving flexibility to each subnet to define how alpha holders participate. (docs.bittensor.com)

What SN39 is used for

• Alignment of incentives: Holding and delegating SN39 aligns users with validators that curate Basilica’s compute service.
• Access and participation: In many Bittensor subnets, alpha holdings can signal commitment and may be used within subnet policies for access tiers or influence. Basilica’s design details are light publicly, but the standard dTAO pattern is that alpha represents stake and participation in the subnet’s economy. (docs.bittensor.com)

Ecosystem & Use Cases

Basilica positions itself as a simple, developer‑friendly way to access compute. That can include:

• Spinning up GPUs for model training or fine‑tuning small and mid‑sized models.
• Running inference endpoints for LLMs or multimodal models.
• Scheduling batch jobs for data processing or embedding generation.
• Integrating AI agents that “call for compute” on demand.

Because Basilica operates as a Bittensor subnet, it lives in a wider ecosystem of AI services that can plug together. Subnets specialize—some route search, others do vector tasks, others manage routing—and alpha tokens let the market reward the subnets that deliver the most value. Basilica’s role in this mosaic is to provide reliable, on‑call compute under a CLI and policy surface that feels native to developers. (docs.bittensor.com)

Community resources list Basilica as Subnet 39 with the theme of “sacred compute,” underscoring the focus on trustworthy, high‑quality infrastructure rather than purely algorithmic outputs. (learnbittensor.org)

Advantages & Challenges

Advantages

• Developer‑native experience: The website shows a minimal, copy‑paste install and a single command to bring infrastructure online—appealing for engineers who want less friction. (basilica.ai)
• Aligned incentives: Under dTAO, the subnet’s token economy can reward miners and validators that deliver the best compute service, rather than relying on centralized gatekeepers. (docs.bittensor.com)
• Part of a broader AI network: Basilica does not have to stand alone; it can interoperate with other Bittensor subnets and benefit from shared tooling, wallets, and staking interfaces. (docs.bittensor.com)

Challenges

• Sparse documentation: Public details on Basilica’s deeper technical architecture and governance are limited compared with mature open‑source projects, which may slow institutional adoption. (basilica.ai)
• New token model: dTAO and subnet alpha tokens are still relatively new concepts, and users must learn staking via AMM pools and validator delegation. This adds complexity for first‑time participants. (docs.bittensor.com)
• Dependence on the host network: Basilica’s economics and user flow are tied to Bittensor’s protocol, tooling, and wallet ecosystem, which continues to evolve. (docs.bittensor.com)

Where to Buy & Wallets

Basilica can be purchased on Subnet Tokens, the Bittensor‑native DEX, via the SN39/TAO pool. Analytics pages list the SN39/TAO pool under Subnet Tokens for Subnet 39. (geckoterminal.com)

SN39 is also accessible through TaoFi’s Swap, which routes from Base (using assets such as ETH or USDC) into Bittensor subnet tokens in a single transaction. This removes the need to manually set up a native Bittensor wallet before acquiring alpha. (subnetalpha.ai)

Supported wallets include Talisman, Nova Wallet, and SubWallet—each can connect to the Bittensor network. Ledger hardware wallets can be used together with Talisman or Nova to manage TAO and interact with Bittensor safely. TAO.app and Taostats provide front‑ends where these wallets connect. (docs.bittensor.com)

Regulatory & Compliance

Basilica’s token, SN39, functions as a utility asset within a decentralized compute subnet. It represents stake and participation in Subnet 39’s economy under Bittensor’s Dynamic TAO design. In many jurisdictions, assets like SN39 are evaluated based on their specific functions, distribution, and the expectations they create. Because subnet alpha tokens are designed for staking, delegation, and subnet‑level incentives—and do not represent claims on equity or debt—they are often discussed as utility‑style crypto assets. That said, classification can vary by country, and projects typically avoid making categorical legal claims since interpretation depends on local law and specific facts of use and marketing. Bittensor’s documentation also emphasizes that governance of individual subnets is flexible, which means implementation details can differ across subnets. (docs.bittensor.com)

Regarding Islamic finance considerations, Basilica is not publicly described as shariah‑certified, and there is no formal screening available that would confirm or deny compliance. The token’s primary functions—staking, emissions, and participation in a compute market—do not inherently rely on interest‑bearing instruments. However, questions of gharar (excessive uncertainty) or maisir (speculation) can still arise in volatile crypto markets, and assessments typically look at how a project is used in practice. In the absence of an official ruling or recognized shariah review, Basilica cannot be considered shariah compliant or non‑compliant; its status remains undetermined. (docs.bittensor.com)

Future Outlook

Basilica sits at the intersection of two strong trends: the rise of subnet‑level economies in Bittensor and the growing need for accessible, on‑demand AI compute. Since dTAO’s launch in February 2025, subnets compete in an open market where demand for their alpha token influences emissions and attention. For Basilica, that creates a clear roadmap: improve developer experience, deliver reliable compute, and earn sustained demand for SN39. (docs.bittensor.com)

Key developments to watch:

• A richer developer stack: More documentation, SDKs, and examples would help teams adopt Basilica as their default way to spin up GPUs and inference endpoints. The existing CLI‑first approach provides a base to build on. (basilica.ai)
• Deeper integration with wallets and bridges: TaoFi’s one‑click routing from Base lowers the barrier for new users; broader tooling across wallets and dashboards can make staking and delegation easier for non‑experts. (subnetalpha.ai)
• Subnet‑level governance: As many subnets experiment with giving token holders a say in parameters and policies, Basilica may formalize how SN39 holders participate beyond staking and delegation. The dTAO framework supports this flexibility at the subnet layer. (docs.bittensor.com)
• Inter‑subnet composition: Because Bittensor is a network of networks, future workloads may chain together compute (Basilica), routing, and evaluation subnets to deliver end‑to‑end AI services.

Overall, Basilica’s prospects are tied to how well it translates its “summon compute” promise into a dependable, developer‑loved service and how effectively it uses the dTAO incentive rails to sustain a vibrant community of miners, validators, and nominators. (docs.bittensor.com)

Summary

Basilica (SN39) is the alpha token of Bittensor’s Basilica subnet, a compute‑focused network that aims to make AI‑grade infrastructure easy to summon from the command line. It inherits Bittensor’s post‑2025 design: an AMM‑based staking model, emissions that follow market demand, and a clear separation of roles for miners, validators, and nominators. Historically, the Basilica brand originated as a YC‑backed ML infrastructure startup; today, it reappears as a subnet delivering “developer‑native” compute under the Bittensor umbrella. Users acquire SN39 through the Subnet Tokens DEX or via TaoFi’s cross‑chain Swap, and they can manage participation with wallets like Talisman and Nova (including Ledger support). While formal regulatory and shariah classifications are not established for this specific token, its design and utility align with the broader class of subnet tokens used for staking and incentive alignment rather than equity‑style claims. Basilica’s long‑term place in the crypto‑AI stack will depend on execution: clear tooling, reliable compute, and sustained alignment between its token economy and the value developers get from using the network. (basilica.ai)