What happens to my money
Assetmarket has four important money paths: buying, selling, acquisition, and expiry.
The short version: trades use USDC, the listing reserve backs sell liquidity and expiry payout, and completed acquisitions distribute USDC through the settlement flow.
When you buy
When you buy a listing position:
- You pay USDC.
- The 1% trading fee is taken first.
- The remaining USDC enters the listing reserve.
- Your listing position is added to your account.
- The displayed price increases according to the pricing formula.
The fee is not part of the reserve. The reserve is the USDC source for sell-side liquidity and expiry payout.
When you sell
When you sell a listing position:
- Your position size decreases.
- USDC leaves the listing reserve.
- You receive the formula-calculated sell amount, less the 1% trading fee.
- The displayed price decreases according to the pricing formula.
Large sells move price more than small sells. The displayed price before a trade is not the same as the average execution price for a large trade.
If an acquisition closes
When an acquisition closes:
- The buyer funds the settlement in USDC.
- USDC already held in the listing reserve is applied to the market participant payout.
- Market participants receive automated payout.
- The seller receives the seller claim payout.
- 10% of the seller payout is held back for 30 days.
- Asset transfer and handover complete the process.
For the default 80/20 split:
| Recipient | Receives |
|---|---|
| Market participants | The market participant side of the payout |
| Seller | 80% seller claim payout, with 10% of that payout held back |
| Platform | Trading fees only |
The seller holdback protects the buyer against post-closing issues such as misrepresented metrics, undisclosed liabilities, failed handover obligations, or material undisclosed defects.
The purchase price is the gross acquisition price. Because the listing reserve already holds USDC for part of the market participant payout, the live app may show a lower net escrow amount for the buyer.
If the listing expires
If the listing timer expires without an acquisition:
- Trading stops.
- The listing expires.
- All market participants receive their share of the USDC reserve.
- The seller claim expires without value.
- The seller keeps the software.
The expiry formula is:
USDC reserve / total active position size
If the seller cancels during pending
The seller can cancel during the 24 hour pending period.
If that happens:
- No listing position has been created.
- No listing reserve exists.
- No market participant funds have entered the listing.
- The listing is cancelled before launch.
If a buyer posts earnest deposit
Earnest deposit is optional and belongs to the acquisition path, not normal trading.
| Scenario | Earnest deposit result |
|---|---|
| Buyer closes | Credited against purchase price |
| Buyer stops after protected due diligence starts | Paid to seller |
| Seller rejects before APA | Returned to buyer |
| Offer path rejected before DD | Not charged |
The deposit is 2% of the purchase price.
Example payout
Assume:
- USDC reserve is $50,000.
- Total active position size is 10,000 units.
- Displayed price is $10.
- Default outside-listing split is 80/20.
Expiry
$50,000 / 10,000 = $5 per unit
A market participant with 100 units receives $500.
Acquisition close
If the acquisition payout is $10 per unit, a market participant with 100 units receives $1,000.
The seller claim pays from the acquisition settlement. With an implied $500,000 valuation and 80% seller split, the seller claim is $400,000. Of that, $40,000 is held back for 30 days.
What is not paid
- Seller claim pays only if an acquisition closes.
- Listing positions do not receive revenue share while a listing is live.
- Holding 1% or 2% unlocks access or offer eligibility. Payout depends on the acquisition or expiry outcome.
Check the live app for exact balances, fees, and payout status before taking action.