Who can open one, and when
- The buyer, during the challenge window, if the domain isn't in their account.
- The seller, before the transfer deadline, if they delivered but no registry proof can pass.
The arbitration fee
Kleros charges an arbitration fee in ETH, shown on the deal page. The side that opens the dispute pays it straight away. The other side must pay the same fee before the fee deadline, or loses by default and the side that paid gets its fee back. This stops anyone stalling by going quiet. When both have paid, the case is created at Kleros, and the winner gets their fee back at the end.
What jurors decide
Jurors answer one question: was the domain in the buyer's account at the buyer's chosen registrar at any point after the deal became active? They follow the yescrow juror policy. What happens to the domain after the deal closes is out of scope.
| Ruling | Outcome |
|---|---|
| The seller delivered | The seller is paid, less the 1% fee, and gets their arbitration fee back. |
| The seller didn't deliver | The buyer is refunded in full and gets their arbitration fee back. |
| Jurors refuse to rule | The price and the held fee are split 50/50. |
Which court
- Deals up to 2,000 USDC go to Kleros's Agentic Commerce Court, where three AI agents are the jurors. A ruling usually comes within a day. Human jurors see the case only on appeal, and reaching them costs far more than the first fee.
- Larger deals go to Kleros's General Court, where people are the jurors. With its evidence, voting and appeal periods, a case takes days to weeks while the price stays locked.
Evidence
Submit it on the deal page; files are stored on IPFS. Strongest first:
- The registry proofs already recorded on-chain (you don't need to add them).
- A zkTLS proof of your registrar account page.
- An email from a registrar about the transfer or the push.
- Screenshots.
Evidence is public and permanent. Never include passwords, transfer codes or other secrets.
Settling or conceding
At any point before the ruling, the two sides can agree a split. One side signs an offer on the deal page and sends the link; the deal closes when the other side signs the same amount. Either side can also give in: the buyer pays the seller, or the seller refunds the buyer. Arbitration fees are then returned as the settlement rules describe.