diff --git a/evm-tests/test/uid.precompile.lookup.test.ts b/evm-tests/test/uid.precompile.lookup.test.ts
index 6e702d612e..f6e22ce032 100644
--- a/evm-tests/test/uid.precompile.lookup.test.ts
+++ b/evm-tests/test/uid.precompile.lookup.test.ts
@@ -55,12 +55,11 @@ describe("Test the UID Lookup precompile", () => {
         const signature = await evmWallet.signMessage(concatenatedArray);
         const associateEvmKeyTx = api.tx.SubtensorModule.associate_evm_key({
             netuid: netuid,
-            hotkey: convertPublicKeyToSs58(hotkey.publicKey),
             evm_key: convertToFixedSizeBinary(evmWallet.address, 20),
             block_number: BigInt(blockNumber),
             signature: convertToFixedSizeBinary(signature, 65)
         });
-        const signer = getSignerFromKeypair(coldkey);
+        const signer = getSignerFromKeypair(hotkey);
         await waitForTransactionCompletion(api, associateEvmKeyTx, signer)
             .then(() => { })
             .catch((error) => { console.log(`transaction error ${error}`) });
diff --git a/pallets/subtensor/src/macros/dispatches.rs b/pallets/subtensor/src/macros/dispatches.rs
index 30fc44fc72..64ed5f723a 100644
--- a/pallets/subtensor/src/macros/dispatches.rs
+++ b/pallets/subtensor/src/macros/dispatches.rs
@@ -2001,12 +2001,11 @@ mod dispatches {
         pub fn associate_evm_key(
             origin: T::RuntimeOrigin,
             netuid: NetUid,
-            hotkey: T::AccountId,
             evm_key: H160,
             block_number: u64,
             signature: Signature,
         ) -> DispatchResult {
-            Self::do_associate_evm_key(origin, netuid, hotkey, evm_key, block_number, signature)
+            Self::do_associate_evm_key(origin, netuid, evm_key, block_number, signature)
         }
 
         /// Recycles alpha from a cold/hot key pair, reducing AlphaOut on a subnet
diff --git a/pallets/subtensor/src/tests/evm.rs b/pallets/subtensor/src/tests/evm.rs
index 95d0c4e6db..a65e69c207 100644
--- a/pallets/subtensor/src/tests/evm.rs
+++ b/pallets/subtensor/src/tests/evm.rs
@@ -58,9 +58,8 @@ fn test_associate_evm_key_success() {
         let signature = sign_evm_message(&pair, message);
 
         assert_ok!(SubtensorModule::associate_evm_key(
-            RuntimeOrigin::signed(coldkey),
+            RuntimeOrigin::signed(hotkey),
             netuid,
-            hotkey,
             evm_key,
             block_number,
             signature,
@@ -105,9 +104,8 @@ fn test_associate_evm_key_different_block_number_success() {
         let signature = sign_evm_message(&pair, message);
 
         assert_ok!(SubtensorModule::associate_evm_key(
-            RuntimeOrigin::signed(coldkey),
+            RuntimeOrigin::signed(hotkey),
             netuid,
-            hotkey,
             evm_key,
             block_number,
             signature,
@@ -125,43 +123,6 @@ fn test_associate_evm_key_different_block_number_success() {
     });
 }
 
-#[test]
-fn test_associate_evm_key_coldkey_does_not_own_hotkey() {
-    new_test_ext(1).execute_with(|| {
-        let netuid = NetUid::from(1);
-
-        let tempo: u16 = 2;
-        let modality: u16 = 2;
-
-        add_network(netuid, tempo, modality);
-
-        let coldkey = U256::from(1);
-        let hotkey = U256::from(2);
-
-        let pair = ecdsa::Pair::generate().0;
-        let public = pair.public();
-        let evm_key = public_to_evm_key(&public);
-        let block_number = frame_system::Pallet::<Test>::block_number();
-        let hashed_block_number = keccak_256(block_number.encode().as_ref());
-        let hotkey_bytes = hotkey.encode();
-
-        let message = [hotkey_bytes.as_ref(), hashed_block_number.as_ref()].concat();
-        let signature = sign_evm_message(&pair, message);
-
-        assert_err!(
-            SubtensorModule::associate_evm_key(
-                RuntimeOrigin::signed(coldkey),
-                netuid,
-                hotkey,
-                evm_key,
-                block_number,
-                signature,
-            ),
-            Error::<Test>::NonAssociatedColdKey
-        );
-    });
-}
-
 #[test]
 fn test_associate_evm_key_hotkey_not_registered_in_subnet() {
     new_test_ext(1).execute_with(|| {
@@ -188,9 +149,8 @@ fn test_associate_evm_key_hotkey_not_registered_in_subnet() {
 
         assert_err!(
             SubtensorModule::associate_evm_key(
-                RuntimeOrigin::signed(coldkey),
+                RuntimeOrigin::signed(hotkey),
                 netuid,
-                hotkey,
                 evm_key,
                 block_number,
                 signature,
@@ -229,9 +189,8 @@ fn test_associate_evm_key_using_wrong_hash_function() {
 
         assert_err!(
             SubtensorModule::associate_evm_key(
-                RuntimeOrigin::signed(coldkey),
+                RuntimeOrigin::signed(hotkey),
                 netuid,
-                hotkey,
                 evm_key,
                 block_number,
                 signature,
diff --git a/pallets/subtensor/src/utils/evm.rs b/pallets/subtensor/src/utils/evm.rs
index 5d4f1ad493..ba6214968d 100644
--- a/pallets/subtensor/src/utils/evm.rs
+++ b/pallets/subtensor/src/utils/evm.rs
@@ -44,17 +44,11 @@ impl<T: Config> Pallet<T> {
     pub fn do_associate_evm_key(
         origin: T::RuntimeOrigin,
         netuid: NetUid,
-        hotkey: T::AccountId,
         evm_key: H160,
         block_number: u64,
         mut signature: Signature,
     ) -> dispatch::DispatchResult {
-        let coldkey = ensure_signed(origin)?;
-
-        ensure!(
-            Self::get_owning_coldkey_for_hotkey(&hotkey) == coldkey,
-            Error::<T>::NonAssociatedColdKey
-        );
+        let hotkey = ensure_signed(origin)?;
 
         // Normalize the v value to 0 or 1
         if signature.0[64] >= 27 {
diff --git a/runtime/src/lib.rs b/runtime/src/lib.rs
index 53cb669a04..0da1ead25c 100644
--- a/runtime/src/lib.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/lib.rs
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ pub const VERSION: RuntimeVersion = RuntimeVersion {
     //   `spec_version`, and `authoring_version` are the same between Wasm and native.
     // This value is set to 100 to notify Polkadot-JS App (https://polkadot.js.org/apps) to use
     //   the compatible custom types.
-    spec_version: 278,
+    spec_version: 279,
     impl_version: 1,
     apis: RUNTIME_API_VERSIONS,
     transaction_version: 1,