P2P crypto escrow
Trading directly with someone you found online means one person usually has to go first — and that is exactly where deals go wrong. Vaultion holds the funds in a smart contract so neither side has to trust the other: the money is locked until both agree the trade is complete, or a dispute ruling settles it — Kleros jurors or a Vaultion reviewer on Ethereum, a Vaultion reviewer elsewhere.
Start an escrowNobody goes first blind
Neither side exposed
The buyer’s funds lock in the contract before the trade, so the seller can see payment is committed and the buyer knows it will not release until the deal is done.
Verifiable, not a promise
The locked balance is on-chain and public. Both parties can confirm the money is there without trusting a middleman’s dashboard.
Disputes go to Kleros
If the trade does not go as agreed, either side opens a dispute and independent jurors rule — no relying on a forum admin or the other party’s goodwill.
What to confirm on a peer-to-peer trade
A P2P trade is a first-mover standoff: nobody wants to send first. Escrow holds the funds so neither side is exposed — these are the things to confirm before anyone releases.
Neither side goes first
The escrow holds the funds so one side is not left exposed. Confirm both legs — what is paid and what is delivered — before anyone releases.
Confirmations & finality
Agree how many confirmations count as settled, and release after the chain finalises rather than on a still-pending transaction.
Asset & network match
Double-check the exact asset, network and destination address. A cross-chain or wrong-network send cannot be undone by the escrow.
Counterparty checks
Escrow removes the first-mover risk, but you still vet who you are trading with. It secures the settlement, not the person.
Check the contract before you commit
Vaultion runs on a published, open-source contract that holds the funds — not Vaultion. You can read it and the locked balance on the block explorer before you send anything.
Frequently asked
How is this safer than trading directly?
In a direct trade one party sends first and hopes. With Vaultion the funds lock in a contract neither party controls, releasing only on agreement or a dispute ruling — from independent Kleros jurors or a Vaultion reviewer on Ethereum, or a Vaultion reviewer on every other network — so going first no longer means taking on all the risk.
Can the other person just take the money?
No. The escrowed funds sit in the smart contract, not in anyone’s wallet, and move only by the contract’s rules — release, refund, or a dispute ruling from independent Kleros jurors or a Vaultion reviewer on Ethereum, or a Vaultion reviewer on every other network. You can read the contract before you commit.
What if we disagree about whether the goods arrived?
Either side opens a dispute and submits evidence; it is reviewed by independent Kleros jurors or a Vaultion reviewer on Ethereum, or a Vaultion reviewer on every other network, and the contract enforces the decision.
What does it cost?
A tiered platform fee — 4% on smaller deals down to 2% on larger ones — is paid once when the escrow is created. What a dispute costs depends on the network. On Ethereum you choose at creation: Kleros charges a fee, paid in ETH by the party that raises the dispute, while a Vaultion reviewer costs nothing. On every other network a Vaultion reviewer handles it and there is no charge. Either way, no dispute means nothing extra to pay.
Keep reading
Lock a peer-to-peer trade
Set up an escrow in a few steps. Funds stay locked in the contract until the deal is done or arbitration decides.
Create an escrow