FAQ
Frequently asked questions about the sBTC Escrow platform.
General
What is sBTC Escrow?
A decentralized escrow service built on the Stacks blockchain. It allows two parties to safely exchange STX or sBTC tokens with built-in dispute resolution.
Is this audited?
The smart contract has been tested extensively with unit and integration tests. However, it has not undergone a formal third-party audit. Use at your own risk on mainnet.
What blockchains are supported?
Currently only the Stacks blockchain. The contract uses Clarity smart contracts and supports STX and sBTC (SIP-010) tokens.
What wallets are supported?
Any Stacks-compatible wallet that supports the Stacks Connect protocol, including:
- Leather Wallet
- Xverse Wallet
Usage
How do I create an escrow?
- Connect your wallet
- Navigate to "Create Escrow"
- Enter the recipient's address, amount, token type, expiry, and description
- Confirm the transaction in your wallet
How long does an escrow last?
You set the expiry when creating the escrow, specified in Stacks blocks. At roughly 10 minutes per block:
- 144 blocks ≈ 1 day
- 1008 blocks ≈ 1 week
- 4320 blocks ≈ 1 month
What fees are charged?
A platform fee (default 1%) is deducted from the escrow amount when funds are released. The fee is configurable by the contract owner.
Can I cancel an escrow?
You cannot cancel a funded escrow before it expires. However:
- If unfunded, it will simply expire
- If funded and expired, the sender can request a refund
- If there's a dispute, the admin can resolve it
Disputes
How does dispute resolution work?
Either the sender or recipient can raise a dispute on a funded escrow. Once disputed:
- The funds are locked
- The platform admin reviews the case
- The admin resolves the dispute by releasing funds to the appropriate party
Who resolves disputes?
The contract owner (admin) resolves disputes. In a future version, this could be extended to a decentralized arbitration system.
What are the possible dispute resolutions?
| Resolution | Effect |
|---|---|
| Release to recipient | Funds sent to recipient (minus fee) |
| Refund to sender | Funds returned to sender |
Is there a time limit on disputes?
Yes, the dispute timeout (configurable by admin) sets how long a dispute can remain open before it can be auto-resolved.
Technical
Why does my transaction take so long?
Stacks blocks are produced approximately every 10 minutes (anchored to Bitcoin blocks). Your transaction will be confirmed in the next block.
Why can't I see my escrow immediately?
The Chainhook indexer processes blockchain events and writes them to Supabase. There may be a short delay (1-2 blocks) between the on-chain transaction and the data appearing in the UI.
Can I interact with the contract directly?
Yes. The contract is public on the Stacks blockchain. You can call any public function using:
- Stacks Explorer sandbox
- Stacks.js SDK
- The sBTC Escrow SDK (
sbtc-escrow-sdk)
What happens if the frontend goes down?
Your funds are safe on the blockchain. You can interact with the contract directly using any Stacks wallet or the Stacks Explorer to release, refund, or dispute escrows.
Is my data private?
Blockchain transactions are public. The escrow details (sender, recipient, amount, status) are visible on-chain. The description field is also stored on-chain and in Supabase.
Troubleshooting
"Transaction failed" error
Common causes:
- Insufficient STX/sBTC balance
- Post-condition failure (amount mismatch)
- Escrow already in a terminal state
- Network congestion
"Wallet not connected" error
- Click "Connect Wallet" in the header
- Approve the connection in your wallet extension
- Make sure you're on the correct network (testnet vs mainnet)
Escrow shows wrong status
The UI reads from the Supabase index. If the indexer is behind:
- Wait a few minutes for the indexer to catch up
- Check the transaction on the Stacks Explorer for the actual on-chain status
- Contact support if the issue persists