How the escrow works
- When an order opens, the seller's USD moves into escrow. They cannot stake it, withdraw it or sell it again while your order is live.
- You pay the seller directly, through your own bank or wallet app. Arena never touches the fiat and cannot see whether it arrived.
- The seller releases the escrow once the money lands. Only they can — an automatic release would pay out on the buyer's word alone.
- An unpaid order cancels itself after 15 minutes and the escrow returns. Once you mark it paid, that clock stops and nobody can cancel it.
- Never release before the money is in your account. A screenshot is not a payment.