> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://ogroute.gitbook.io/ogroute-docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://ogroute.gitbook.io/ogroute-docs/user-guides/start-a-circle.md). # Start a circle You start a circle, choose the rules, and become its first member. Everyone who joins accepts those rules — they cannot be changed afterwards. ## Before you start You need a [funded wallet on testnet](/ogroute-docs/user-guides/wallet.md) and a rough plan: how much each person can pay per cycle, how often, and how many people. ## The five choices **Contribution per cycle.** What each member pays every cycle. If five people each pay 10 USDC weekly, the weekly pot is 50 USDC. **Security deposit.** What each member escrows up front. This is the money slashed if someone misses a payment. Higher deposit = safer for the group, harder to join. A deposit around one to two contributions is a reasonable starting point. **Members.** How many people the circle needs before it activates. This is also how many cycles it runs — five members means five cycles, and each person collects once. **Cycle length.** Daily, weekly, or monthly. Match it to how people actually earn. **Token.** The Stellar asset used. On testnet the app uses native XLM; a production deployment would use USDC. ## Creating it 1. Open the app and click **Start a circle**. 2. Fill in the five values. 3. Click **Create circle** and approve the transaction in Freighter. Your deposit is transferred to the contract in that same transaction. The circle is now **Open** and you are member 1. ## Filling it Share the circle link. Each person joins by posting the same deposit. When the last member joins, the circle **activates automatically** in that transaction — the payout order is locked to join order, and cycle 1 begins immediately. You are position 1, so you collect the first pot. ## If it doesn't fill While the circle is Open you can **cancel** it. Every member — including you — gets their full deposit back and the circle closes. There is no penalty and no fee beyond network costs. ## Choosing well * **Payout order is join order.** Being first means collecting before you have paid much in — that is the advantage, and it is also why the deposit and reputation systems exist. Members who join later carry more risk, so keep the group to people who have reason to trust each other or who have a visible [reputation](/ogroute-docs/protocol/reputation.md). * **Size is commitment length.** A ten-person monthly circle runs ten months. Longer circles mean more chances for someone's situation to change. * **Set the deposit to the pain you want a default to cause.** A trivial deposit makes walking away cheap. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://ogroute.gitbook.io/ogroute-docs/user-guides/start-a-circle.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.