Terms & Guidelines

1. Peer-to-peer marketplace

eGavel is a peer-to-peer auction platform. Listings are created and fulfilled directly between the seller and the winning bidder. The platform facilitates the auction and the payment settlement, but is not a party to the underlying transaction.

To list or to bid you must link a Nostr identity to your trading key. The link is permanent: it cannot be removed or re-linked to a different key. Your Nostr handle is how buyers and sellers identify and reach each other.

2. Non-custodial funds

The platform never holds your funds. Bids are protected by a 2-of-3 P2PK lock (seller, server, bidder) on the Cashu mint — no single party, including the server, can move the funds alone. If the server were to disappear, locked funds are recoverable by the bidder after the locktime via the refund key.

You are responsible for your own funds. Your account is backed by a 12-word recovery phrase that exists only in this browser. The platform does not keep a copy and cannot restore it for you. Write the phrase down and store it safely — it is the only backup of your funds. Browser storage may be cleared (for example by Safari after about 7 days without visiting the site); without the phrase, funds stored in this browser cannot be recovered.

3. Payments and settlement

Bidders fund their eGavel wallet by minting e-cash with a Lightning payment (the displayed invoice). Bids are placed and settled in e-cash, not directly over Lightning. After an auction ends, the seller claims the winning bid via a 2-of-3 co-signature, receiving the full sale proceeds — eGavel charges no platform fee. The winner receives the difference between their locked maximum and the standing price back as change.

4. Shipping and fulfillment

Shipping and delivery are a private agreement between the seller and the winning bidder. After settlement, the winner's Nostr contact handle (npub) is shown to the seller — and the seller's handle is shown to the winner — so they can arrange delivery. The winner stays anonymous to everyone else. The platform does not handle, insure, or guarantee delivery of any physical item.

5. Prohibited listings

You may not list illegal goods, counterfeit items, stolen property, or anything that violates applicable law. You may not engage in fraudulent bidding, bid shilling, or any practice intended to manipulate an auction's outcome.

6. Disclaimer

The platform provides the auction and settlement mechanism as-is, without warranty. It is not responsible for the condition, accuracy, or delivery of listed items, nor for disputes between buyers and sellers. Auction fairness rests on open-source code, self-hosting, and operator reputation. Use at your own risk.