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

# Carrots and OS explained

> Understand the two parts of the bunnyOS economy: Carrots, the credit you spend to run bunny in the cloud, and OS, the token you stake to earn them.

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  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/bunnyos-df4bf87e-68/Zb1INJk2q83FNpLp/images/hero/bunny-carrot.jpeg?fit=max&auto=format&n=Zb1INJk2q83FNpLp&q=85&s=0b1ba994bbd5b100d7160c450865fd54" alt="bunny eating a carrot" width="1280" height="720" data-path="images/hero/bunny-carrot.jpeg" />
</Frame>

bunnyOS runs on two things that work together: **Carrots** and **`$OS`**. This page explains what each one is and how they fit together. It stays at the concept level: the step-by-step how-tos live on their own pages, linked below.

## Carrots: the credit you spend

Carrots are the usage credit in bunnyOS. You spend them to run bunny in the cloud on the [bunnyCompute](/user/compute/overview) network, currently 10 Carrots per request. Cloud-run [bunnyApps](/user/apps/app-store) spend Carrots the same way.

Running bunny privately on your own device is free and spends nothing. So you only reach for Carrots when you want cloud power. Holding a balance of Carrots is like holding prepaid capacity to run bunny: the more you have, the more cloud requests you can make.

New accounts get a one-time starter grant of Carrots, so you can try the cloud right away without doing anything first.

## OS: the token you stake

`$OS` is the bunnyOS token, held on the Base network. You can lock it up (stake it) to earn a steady daily stream of Carrots. Staking is one of the ways Carrots are created for you, so `$OS` is how you turn a token holding into ongoing usage credit.

## The two side by side

|                     | Carrots                                        | `$OS`                                  |
| ------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- |
| What it is          | The usage credit you spend                     | A token on Base you stake              |
| What you do with it | Run bunny in the cloud and run cloud bunnyApps | Stake it to earn a daily Carrot stream |

## Ways to get Carrots

There are two ways to build up a Carrot balance:

* **Stake `$OS`**: lock the token on Base to earn a daily stream of Carrots. See [Stake OS to earn Carrots](/user/carrots/stake-os).
* **Contribute compute**: let your computer do jobs for the network and earn Carrots per job. See [How contributing works](/user/compute/overview).

## How it fits together

The economy is a simple loop. People who need bunny spend Carrots to run it in the cloud. People who supply that cloud power, by contributing compute or staking `$OS`, earn Carrots in return. That exchange is what keeps the network running: the spenders fund it, and the suppliers keep it fast and available.

<Note>
  You never need `$OS` to use bunny. Running on your own device is free, and Carrots cover the cloud. `$OS` and staking are simply how you earn Carrots instead of acquiring them.
</Note>

## Related pages

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Your Carrots" icon="wallet" href="/user/carrots/your-carrots">
    Check your balance, see your transaction history, and top up.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Stake OS to earn Carrots" icon="lock" href="/user/carrots/stake-os">
    Lock `$OS` on Base to earn a daily Carrot stream.
  </Card>

  <Card title="How contributing works" icon="cpu" href="/user/compute/overview">
    Supply compute to the network and earn Carrots per job.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Where bunny runs" icon="server" href="/user/chat/on-device-vs-cloud">
    Run bunny free on your device, or in the cloud with Carrots.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>