Anubis Market Escrow - How Your Funds Are Held
Every transaction on Anubis Market goes through an escrow contract. This is not a trust model where you pay the seller directly. Instead, your funds move to a secure holding space managed by the marketplace until delivery conditions are met. The mechanism relies on a 2-of-3 multisignature scheme, which prevents any single party from moving the money without consent from at least two others.
This structure protects both sides. As a buyer, you do not risk paying upfront with no recourse. As a seller, you do not ship goods with no guarantee of payment. The escrow acts as the neutral arbiter that releases funds only when agreed-upon criteria are satisfied.
The three keys
The multisig contract involves three distinct parties: the buyer, the vendor, and the Anubis platform itself. Each holds a private key portion. To release the funds, any two of these three must sign the transaction. This means the vendor cannot unilaterally take your money just because you received the item, and you cannot force a release if the vendor has proof of shipment. The platform serves as the tie-breaker when the other two disagree.
This arrangement reduces the chance of accidental miscommunication leading to lost funds. If a vendor ships late but correctly, they need either your signature confirming receipt or the platform intervention to close the deal. Without those two signatures, the money stays locked in escrow indefinitely.
The order lifecycle
- 1
Order placed
You place an order and your selected cryptocurrency moves from your available balance into the escrow pool.
- 2
Vendor ships
The vendor confirms the order and ships the item or sends the digital file link.
- 3
You verify delivery
For physical goods, check the package condition and contents against the listing description. For digital goods, ensure the files download and function as expected.
- 4
You confirm receipt
Once satisfied, you click Confirm Receipt. This provides the second signature needed alongside the vendor shipping confirmation to release the funds.
- 5
Funds release
The funds transfer from escrow to the vendor account immediately upon the second signature.
Automatic release
If you forget to confirm receipt, the system handles it automatically based on the product type. Physical items trigger an automatic release ten days after the delivery date recorded by the vendor. Digital goods trigger a release seventy-two hours after the file is sent. These timers start ticking as soon as the vendor marks the order as shipped.
These windows exist to prevent stale orders from clogging the system. However, they also mean you must inspect your items promptly. If a digital file fails to open after forty-eight hours, you still have twenty-four hours left to raise a flag before the automatic release kicks in. Waiting until the last minute weakens your position in a potential dispute.
Cancellation
You can cancel an order within twenty-four hours of placing it, provided the vendor has not yet shipped it. During this window, the escrow reverses, and the funds return to your available balance minus any applicable fees. Once the vendor confirms shipment, the cancellation window closes. After that point, the only way to get your money back is through the dispute resolution process if the item arrives damaged or incorrect.
Exit scam math
The 2-of-3 multisig design makes it significantly harder for an operator to pull off an exit scam compared to simpler custodial models. To steal funds sitting in escrow, the platform would need to coordinate with either the buyer or the vendor to co-sign a fraudulent release. Since buyers and vendors rarely cooperate, unilateral theft becomes difficult. However, the risk is not zero. If the platform controls two of the keys due to internal collusion or technical failure, funds could disappear. Diversifying your holdings across multiple markets mitigates this residual risk better than relying solely on one security architecture.