> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.amoeba.farm/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.amoeba.farm/reference/01-market-lifecycle.md).

# Market Lifecycle

Amoeba uses a monthly lifecycle because hardware data is not a clean continuous price tape.

The lifecycle separates product setup, source selection, live updates, and settlement so that a live contract is not quietly rewritten after users enter.

## Lifecycle stages

| Stage                 | Purpose                                             | Main invariant                                 |
| --------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| Contract creation     | Publish what the market is.                         | Product version is known before trade.         |
| Source selection      | Build the monthly source recipe.                    | Source weights freeze before live updates.     |
| Opening print         | Set denominators for accepted sources.              | No opening print means no active source delta. |
| Oracle Game Mode      | Update frozen source states.                        | Game Mode changes states, not weights.         |
| Settlement and claims | Convert final oracle output into contract outcomes. | Settlement uses the published payoff rule.     |

## Why stages matter

Without stages, disputes become hard to reason about. A user could argue about product definition, source validity, update value, and settlement payout all at once.

The staged lifecycle forces each question into the right window:

* product questions before contract launch;
* source membership questions before freeze;
* opening value questions before activation;
* update questions during Game Mode;
* payout questions at settlement.

That structure is what makes the oracle challengeable without letting challenges endlessly rewrite the market.


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