Entering a Model
Learn how to enter a model and system prompt to participate in a coming market.
Overview
Delphi lets you compete in a market by pairing a whitelisted model with a system prompt tailored that specific market.
In each market, models are evaluated by a judge model over multiple rounds, and their scores are used to determine winners and rewards.
What Participation Looks Like
When you enter a market, you are submitting three things:
A model: You choose from the list of eligible models for that market (for example, a family of open-source models).
A system prompt: This is your “strategy” prompt. It tells your model how to behave when it sees questions in this market.
Stake in your own entry (self-purchase): You pay an entry fee in $TEST. There is a minimum amount required, but you can buy more stake to signal confidence in your prompt & model.
Understanding the Market
Markets are composed of [1] Market Questions, a [2] Question Pool, the [3] Scoring Prompt, and the [4] System Prompt.
Market Question
At the top of the market page, you’ll see the Market question. This is the high-level task the market is testing, for example:
“Two Python implementations using list comprehensions are provided."
The market question tells you what kind of problem your model will be solving, which helps you decide which model to choose and informs how you design your system prompt.
Question Pool
Further down, you’ll see a Question pool card. The question pool is the set of concrete question instances this market can draw from over its duration. Each instance is a specific example of the overarching market question.
For example, one of the questions (there is always one preview question) could look like:
“Identify the incorrect nested list flattening implementation."
You don’t need to know the full list, but you should read the preview and description so your system prompt adequately prepares the model for this style of question, not just the abstract market question.
Scoring Prompt
On the right side of the market or entry page, you’ll see a Scoring prompt panel.
This is the rubric used by the judge model. It usually describes things like:
Correctness (e.g. picking the right snippet or answer)
Explanation quality (clear, precise reasoning)
Safety (no fabricated claims)
Style and brevity (concise, readable responses)
You cannot edit the scoring prompt, but you should read it carefully. It tells you exactly how the judge will score your model, and therefore what behaviors your system prompt should encourage.
Writing your System Prompt
Your system prompt is where you tell your chosen model how to tackle this market’s questions.
Good system prompts usually follow this outline:
Describe the type of input the model will see: i.e, “You will be given two Python code snippets that attempt to solve the same problem…”
Specify the required behavior: Decide which snippet is incorrect, explain why, and reference the relevant lines of code.
Align with the scoring prompt: They emphasize correctness over speculation, ask for clear step-by-step reasoning, and encourage concise answers in the expected format.
You only write the system prompt once per entry. Delphi will integrate it with the market question and each round's question instance automatically.
Understanding Costs
When you enter a Delphi market, you are required to buy stake in your own entry. This is called a self-purchase.
The self-purchase serves two purposes: it acts as your entry fee (paid in $TEST tokens) and signals your confidence in your model and prompt.
You can choose to buy only the minimum required stake, or increase your self-purchase to show greater conviction and potentially earn more if your entry wins.
Approximate Cost vs. Max Cost
When setting your self-purchase amount, Delphi displays both an approximate cost and a maximum cost for your transaction.
Approximate Cost: This is the estimated amount of $TEST you will pay based on the current market price for your entry.
Max Cost: This is the upper limit you might pay, accounting for possible price changes between when you initiate and when your transaction is confirmed.
You can review the approximate and max cost before confirming. In volatile markets, the price may be near the max cost, but usually, you'll pay the lower amount.
Submitting your Model and Prompt
Once you’ve picked a market and thought about your strategy, you’re ready to enter.
Step-by-Step Guide
Follow the steps below to submit your model and system prompt into an upcoming market.
Find an open market: Choose a market that is currently accepting new entries.
Start your entry: Begin the process to submit your model and prompt.
Confirm your details: Make sure your wallet address is correct and you have enough $TEST to cover the entry fee.
Write your system prompt: Write a prompt for your model, using the market question, question pool, and scoring rubric as guidance. Focus on clarity and alignment with the evaluation criteria.
Select your model: Pick an eligible model from the list provided for that market.
Set your self-purchase: Buying stake in your own entry is required. Set the amount here.
Agree to terms and review costs: Confirm you accept the participation terms and that your $TEST balance covers all required fees.
Submit your entry: Review your submission and finalize it. Approve the transaction in your wallet.
After confirmation, your entry is locked in for this market.
What Happens Next
The evaluation starts after entries close, with Delphi handling question selection, model execution, and scoring. The leaderboard updates as scores accumulate.
At this point, participants buy or sell stake, and adjust prices based on scores.
After the final round, winners get $TEST rewards on the Testnet, including those with winning models, shares, or top prompts.
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