diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 0976792d33..8aa5b93034 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## 8.5.1rc1 /2025-01-09
+
+## What's Changed
+* Development release of RAO network 
+
 ## 8.5.1 /2024-12-16
 
 ## What's Changed
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 109a321030..1573f4e6a0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 <div align="center">
 
 # **Bittensor SDK** <!-- omit in toc -->
+### Rao Development Version
 [![Discord Chat](https://img.shields.io/discord/308323056592486420.svg)](https://discord.gg/bittensor)
 [![PyPI version](https://badge.fury.io/py/bittensor.svg)](https://badge.fury.io/py/bittensor)
 [![License: MIT](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-MIT-yellow.svg)](https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT) 
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index e0741a834a..4f3eb606b6 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-8.5.1
\ No newline at end of file
+8.5.1rc1
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/bittensor/core/settings.py b/bittensor/core/settings.py
index fa645a262b..0c8d7685c9 100644
--- a/bittensor/core/settings.py
+++ b/bittensor/core/settings.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 # OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER
 # DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
 
-__version__ = "8.5.1"
+__version__ = "8.5.1rc1"
 
 import os
 import re
diff --git a/requirements/prod.txt b/requirements/prod.txt
index 7d3daa3230..2839d2025d 100644
--- a/requirements/prod.txt
+++ b/requirements/prod.txt
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ wheel
 setuptools~=70.0.0
 aiohttp~=3.9
 async-property==0.2.2
-bittensor-cli==8.2.0rc5
+bittensor-cli==8.2.0rc6
 bt-decode==0.4.0
 colorama~=0.4.6
 fastapi~=0.110.1