> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://protocol.crunchdao.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Crunch Lifecycle

> The full lifecycle of a Crunch — from creation and funding through competition, payouts, and closure.

This page walks through the complete lifecycle of a Crunch. Understanding these phases is essential
for managing your competition correctly.

<Info>
  The **Coordinator Platform** is the recommended way to manage the Crunch lifecycle. It provides a
  web interface for every phase — from creating your Crunch to running checkpoints and monitoring
  payouts. All actions are also available via the
  [CLI](/cli/coordinator-and-crunch-commands) for scripting and automation.
</Info>

## Lifecycle phases

Every Crunch moves through these phases in order:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Funding">
    After creation, you deposit USDC into the competition's escrow wallet. These funds are locked
    for the duration of the competition and are used for participant payouts and protocol fees.

    <Tabs>
      <Tab title="Platform">
        Navigate to your Crunch in the Coordinator Platform and use the funding interface to deposit
        USDC.
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="CLI">
        ```bash theme={null}
        crunch-cli crunch deposit-reward "my-prediction-challenge" 1000
        ```
      </Tab>
    </Tabs>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Activation and registration">
    You start the competition, and it begins accepting participants. Crunchers can register, accept
    the terms, access the dataset, and start submitting models.

    <Tabs>
      <Tab title="Platform">
        Start your Crunch from the competition overview page in the Coordinator Platform.
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="CLI">
        ```bash theme={null}
        crunch-cli crunch start "my-prediction-challenge"
        ```
      </Tab>
    </Tabs>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Competition">
    This is the active phase where models compete, get scored, and earn rewards. How this works
    depends on your Crunch design:

    * **Live data** — models are continuously evaluated against a live data stream, with payouts at
      regular intervals (e.g., weekly)
    * **Batch/holdout data** — models are evaluated against a held-out dataset at the end of the
      competition

    During this phase, the cycle repeats:

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Development" icon="user">
        Crunchers build and refine their models.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Submission" icon="user">
        Models are submitted for evaluation.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Evaluation" icon="user">
        Models run against live or holdout data. For live competitions, this is continuous.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Scoring">
        Your Crunch Node computes performance metrics, rankings, and rewards.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Payout">
        You run a checkpoint to distribute rewards on-chain. Participants can then claim their
        prizes through the [Tournament Hub](https://hub.crunchdao.com/).

        <Tabs>
          <Tab title="Platform">
            Create checkpoints from the checkpoints page of your Crunch in the Coordinator Platform.
          </Tab>

          <Tab title="CLI">
            ```bash theme={null}
            crunch-cli crunch checkpoint-create "my-prediction-challenge" ./prizes.json
            ```
          </Tab>
        </Tabs>
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    <Note>
      Steps marked with <Icon icon="user" /> are performed by Crunchers. Scoring and payouts are
      your responsibility as the Coordinator.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Completion">
    You end the competition. No new registrations or submissions are accepted, but participants can
    still claim unclaimed prizes for a limited period.

    <Tabs>
      <Tab title="Platform">
        End the competition from the overview page in the Coordinator Platform.
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="CLI">
        ```bash theme={null}
        crunch-cli crunch end "my-prediction-challenge"
        ```
      </Tab>
    </Tabs>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Settlement">
    Protocol fees are processed and paid to the Foundation.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Closure">
    After a defined waiting period, the competition is fully closed. Any unclaimed prizes can no
    longer be claimed.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Withdrawal">
    You can withdraw any remaining funds from the competition escrow wallet.

    <Tabs>
      <Tab title="Platform">
        Withdraw remaining funds from the financial management section of your Crunch in the
        Coordinator Platform.
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="CLI">
        ```bash theme={null}
        crunch-cli crunch drain "my-prediction-challenge"
        ```
      </Tab>
    </Tabs>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What's next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Build a Crunch Node" icon="code" href="/getting-started/crunch-node-example">
    See these phases in action with a working implementation.
  </Card>

  <Card title="CLI reference" icon="terminal" href="/cli/coordinator-and-crunch-commands">
    Complete reference for all lifecycle commands.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>