# associate-hotkey (/docs/tx/associate-hotkey)

Records on chain that the signing coldkey owns the hotkey, without
registering it on any subnet or staking anything. Useful when the pairing
should be visible before the hotkey's first registration (registration and
staking establish it as a side effect). The chain only associates hotkeys
that are not already owned: if the hotkey already belongs to a coldkey the
call succeeds but is silently a no-op — it does not error, and it does not
take over the hotkey.

| Signer    | Pallet          | Wraps                                  |
| --------- | --------------- | -------------------------------------- |
| `coldkey` | SubtensorModule | `SubtensorModule.try_associate_hotkey` |

## Parameters [#parameters]

| Parameter     | Type   | Required | Description                                       |
| ------------- | ------ | -------- | ------------------------------------------------- |
| `hotkey_ss58` | string | no       | Hotkey to record as owned by the signing coldkey. |

Address parameters (`--hotkey`, `--coldkey`, `--dest`, ...) accept a raw ss58
address, an address-book or proxy-book name, or a local wallet/hotkey name.

## CLI [#cli]

Preview with `--dry-run` (shows fee, effects, and policy result without
submitting), then submit:

```bash
btcli tx associate-hotkey --dry-run
btcli tx associate-hotkey -w my_coldkey
```

## Python [#python]

```python
import bittensor as sub
from bittensor.wallet import Wallet

wallet = Wallet(name="my_coldkey", hotkey="my_hotkey")
intent = sub.AssociateHotkey()

async with sub.Client("finney") as client:
    plan = await client.plan(intent, wallet)   # fee, effects, policy — no submission
    result = await client.execute(intent, wallet)
    if not result.success:
        print(result.error.code, result.error.remediation)
```

Or build it by op name, as an agent would:

```python
await client.execute_tool("associate_hotkey", {...}, wallet)
```