# Introduction

Source: https://nodedocs.mor.org/get-started/introduction

## Agent Instructions

- Non-browser fetches of page URLs on this site return clean Markdown (not the JS UI). Prefer `https://nodedocs.mor.org/llms-full.txt` for the full corpus, or `https://nodedocs.mor.org/llms.txt` for the index.
- Per-page Markdown is also at `<page-url>.md` (homepage: `https://nodedocs.mor.org/index.md`).
- Docs search MCP: `https://nodedocs.mor.org/mcp` (discovery: `https://nodedocs.mor.org/.well-known/mcp`).
- Never invent contract addresses, chain IDs, token addresses, or live bid/model counts. Cite Networks and tokens; link active.mor.org for live data.
- Never claim Morpheus runs inference — independent providers do. Opening a session escrows MOR; it does not spend it.

> **In a hurry? Pick the fastest path.**
> 
>   - **Just want to use it (~5 min):** download the **Desktop Application** asset for your OS from the
>     [latest release](https://github.com/MorpheusAIs/Morpheus-Lumerin-Node/releases)
>     (`*-morpheus-app-*.dmg` / `.AppImage` / `.exe` — not a zip archive) and run it.
>     On first launch the app downloads the proxy-router and related services. See the
>     [Consumer quickstart](/consumers/quickstart).
>   - **Try it free — no wallet, no tokens:** after install, the app also downloads a local `llama.cpp`
>     demo model so you can chat without staking MOR. Look for **Local Model** in Chat.
>   - **Building on the marketplace?** Jump to the [hosted Inference API](/inference-api/overview), or consume the shared catalog on [active.mor.org](/ecosystem/active-status) (pick ALL / ACTIVE / GATEWAY).
> 
>   New to Morpheus? Read on for how the pieces fit together.

The Morpheus Lumerin Node is the open-source software that connects you to the **Morpheus Inference Marketplace** — a decentralized, peer-to-peer marketplace where consumers and independent providers trade AI inference, coordinated by smart contracts on BASE. You interact with it through a desktop chat experience, a CLI, or a direct HTTP API on your local node.

If you'd rather skip running a node entirely and use a simple OpenAI-compatible API key, see the **hosted [Morpheus Inference API](/inference-api/overview)** ([apidocs.mor.org](https://apidocs.mor.org)).

For the conceptual picture (decentralization rationale, Compute Node contracts, peer-to-peer routing, reputation system, session-time pricing), see [What is Morpheus?](/concepts/what-is-morpheus).

## What's in the box

  
- **proxy-router** — Background process that listens to the BASE blockchain, manages secure consumer/provider sessions, and routes prompts and responses. The same binary serves both sides; only configuration differs.

  
- **MorpheusUI** — Electron desktop GUI that consumers use to browse bids, open sessions, and chat with models.

  
- **mor-cli** — Command-line client that talks to the proxy-router HTTP API.

  
- **llama.cpp + tinyllama** — A throw-away local demo model the desktop app downloads on first launch so you can try the stack without paying MOR.

## How the pieces talk

```mermaid
flowchart LR
  Consumer[Consumer wallet] --> UI[MorpheusUI]
  UI --> ConsumerProxy[Consumer proxy-router]
  ConsumerProxy --> Chain[BASE blockchain]
  Chain --> ProviderProxy[Provider proxy-router]
  ProviderProxy --> Model[Provider AI model]
  ConsumerProxy <-->|"prompts and inference"| ProviderProxy
```

1. **Consumer** opens a session by staking MOR against a provider's bid on chain.
2. The **consumer proxy-router** opens a TCP connection to the **provider proxy-router** (port 3333 by default) and forwards prompts.
3. The **provider proxy-router** dispatches to the configured backend model (`apiUrl` in [`models-config.json`](/reference/models-config)) and streams the response back.
4. The **BASE blockchain** holds the source of truth for providers, models, bids, and sessions. MOR pays for usage; ETH on BASE pays for gas.

## Pick your role

  
- **[Hosted Inference API](/inference-api/overview)** — No node, no wallet — OpenAI-compatible API key.

  
- **[Consumer quickstart](/consumers/quickstart)** — Install the desktop release, fund a wallet, open a session, chat.

  
- **[Provider quickstart](/providers/full/quickstart)** — Stand up a proxy-router, look up existing models on active.mor.org, bid (mint only if needed).

  
- **[TEE provider fast lane](/providers/full/secretvm-quickstart)** — Deploy a hardened `-tee` image on SecretVM in minutes.

  
- **[Resale provider](/providers/resale/overview)** — Resell Venice / OpenAI / Anthropic capacity on Morpheus.

## Networks and addresses

See [Networks & tokens](/get-started/networks-and-tokens) for the canonical, per-release MOR token, Diamond contract, and chain-ID values.