Policy · Demo draft
Dispute policy
How disagreements are resolved without anyone being able to lock funds forever.
Draft for the devnet demo. Not legal advice and not legally reviewed. Must be reviewed by counsel before real-value transactions are enabled.
Step 1: Refund request
A buyer may request a refund of the unreleased balance. The seller can accept (funds return to the buyer) or decline, which opens a dispute.
Step 2: Dispute
Either party may open a dispute while funds are in escrow and within the dispute window agreed in the terms. The unreleased balance is frozen. Already-released milestones are final.
Both parties can add evidence links and notes, and propose a percentage split. If the counterparty accepts a proposal, it executes immediately.
Step 3: Arbiter decision
If the parties can't agree, a designated arbiter reviews the agreement, milestone criteria, and evidence, then records a split. The arbiter can only distribute the escrowed balance between buyer and seller. They cannot send funds anywhere else or change the agreement.
In demo mode, arbitration is simulated. For real-value transactions a legally reviewed arbitration model will be required.
Time-based safety
If the delivery deadline passes with no pending delivery, the buyer may reclaim the unreleased balance. This guarantees funds always have an exit path.