Nexus Market Vendor Guide: How to Sell, Bond & Fees

Prerequisites for Merchant Registration

Nexus enforces rigorous vendor onboarding standards to eliminate fraudulent listings and protect consumer confidence across the Nexus Market marketplace. Before applying, ensure your operational setup satisfies these strict baseline criteria:

• Dedicated 4096-bit RSA or Ed25519 PGP Key: Personal or temporary keys are disallowed. The public key must be published to your profile and remain immutable.
• Isolated Tails OS or Qubes OS Hardware: Operating merchant storefronts from everyday consumer Windows or macOS systems is considered an immediate OPSEC vulnerability.
• Direct Wallet Ownership: Vendor payouts and bond funding must originate from non-custodial Monero (Cake/Feather) or Bitcoin wallets, never centralized exchange addresses.
• Signed Proof of History (Optional Waiver): Merchants requesting bond exemptions must provide a PGP-signed message matching public keys listed on recognized directories.

Vendor Bond Structure and Waiver Protocol

Security bonds protect customers from fly-by-night exit attempts and unfulfilled orders. Bonds are held securely within the market escrow infrastructure until merchant retirement:

Order Lifecycle and 2-of-3 Multisig Settlement

Unlike legacy custodial hubs where deposits pool in vulnerable site-controlled hot wallets, Nexus Market settles merchant transactions through mathematical multi-signature scripts. Every incoming order follows an automated four-stage pipeline:

1. Escrow Funding: The buyer deposits funds into a time-locked 2-of-3 multisig address generated specifically for the trade.
2. Order Dispatch: The vendor decrypts shipping details using their private PGP key and marks the status as "Dispatched" within 72 hours.
3. Confirmation & Release: Upon physical arrival, the buyer inspects the package and submits their cryptographic signature to release coins directly to the vendor's address.
4. Auto-Finalize Fallback: If a buyer neglects to finalize, domestic transactions release automatically after 7 calendar days (14 days for international orders), unless a dispute is actively filed.

Merchant OPSEC and Address Shredding Standards

Nexus incorporates an automated privacy protocol known as the Ephemeral Order Shredder. Once an order completes or an arbiter resolves a dispute, all customer shipping communications and plaintext metadata are cryptographically expunged from database RAM after 72 hours. Vendors must maintain their own local encrypted ledger using amnesic tools to avoid keeping customer traces.

Vendor Dispute Resolution and Arbitration

In the event of an unfulfilled delivery claim, buyers and vendors engage in the Nexus arbitration system. The dispute protocol operates under strict evidentiary rules:

• Tracking and Postage Proof: Physical vendors must preserve encrypted postal drop receipts until order completion to dispute non-delivery claims.
• Arbiter Review: Impartial market arbiters review communication logs. Because messages are PGP-encrypted, vendors must authorize selective disclosure.
• Multisig Payout Release: Once evidence is evaluated, the arbiter co-signs the 2-of-3 multisig script to disburse funds to the rightful party.
• Reputation Protection: Unfounded buyer claims do not damage merchant metrics. Legitimate merchants on the Nexus Market marketplace maintain high trust ratings.