Guides

Decentralized P2P marketplace vs centralized platforms

Compare custody, KYC, downtime risk, and dispute models — why collateral-first on-chain escrow differs from escrow held by a company.

Custody

Centralized: platform holds funds in internal ledgers.
p2pzero: funds lock in public contracts; we cannot withdraw your escrow.

Centralized: accounts, KYC, frozen profiles.
p2pzero: wallet-only, no user database.

Centralized: site down = often no access.
p2pzero: IPFS + ENS mirrors; on-chain deals continue.

Centralized: support ticket and policy team.
p2pzero: ARBITER as third signer in 2-of-3 multisig logic defined in Solidity.

Neither model removes all risk — always verify escrow on-chain before shipping goods.