cycles-management

Use `icp canister top-up <canister> --amount <N> -e ic`, which deposits cycles directly onto the canister via the management canister. Do not use `icp cycles transfer`, which only credits the recipient's cycles-ledger balance and leaves the canister's execution balance unchanged.

Run `icp canister status <canister>` and look for the Balance line in the output. Add `-e ic` to check a canister on mainnet, or pass any canister ID directly to inspect canisters you do not own.

The canister freezes and stops responding to all calls with no warning. If cycles are not topped up before the freezing threshold period elapses, the canister and all its data are permanently deleted.

Use `icp cycles mint --icp 1.0 -e ic` to convert ICP into cycles through the cycles ledger, then run `icp canister top-up` to fund your canister. The exact rate is set by the NNS and fluctuates with the ICP price via the CMC.

`icp cycles transfer` moves cycles between cycles-ledger balances like a token transfer, so the canister's actual execution balance is unchanged. Use `icp canister top-up` instead, which deposits cycles directly onto the canister via the management canister.

Call the management canister (`aaaaa-aa`) `create_canister` method with settings and attach cycles to the call, using `create_canister_with_extra_cycles` in ic-cdk for Rust or an actor class call with `with cycles` in Motoko. Specify controllers and a freezing threshold in the settings.