What Is Escrow in P2P and How It Protects Your USDT

Escrow is the exchange's neutral "safe". When you open a P2P order, the seller's USDT are locked on the exchange and belong to nobody until the deal ends. The money, however, goes directly between people; the exchange does not touch it.

How it works

1. The seller posts an ad and the exchange locks their USDT.
2. The buyer creates an order and sends hryvnia to the seller's account.
3. The buyer presses "I have paid" and the seller checks the incoming payment in the bank.
4. The seller confirms and the exchange unlocks the USDT for the buyer.

Why it protects

• The buyer knows the USDT exist and are locked, so the seller cannot vanish with the coins "before payment".
• The seller releases the coins only after confirming the payment arrived.
• In disputes the exchange support steps in and sees the order history and chat.

What escrow does not cover

• A transfer outside the order. If you pay to different details or "off-exchange", the exchange cannot help.
• A third-party payment. The bank may block the card if money came from a person with another name.
• Releasing too early. If you released USDT before the money arrived, the coins cannot be returned.

What to do in a dispute

Do not close the order or release the coins. Open an appeal on the exchange, attach the payment receipt or bank statement and communicate only in the order chat. The procedure depends on the exchange.

That is why our advice comes down to three simple rules: check the incoming payment in the bank, stay inside the order, and start with small amounts. This is not financial advice.

This material is for information only and is not financial advice.