What Ikiraro is and how it works
A marketplace that combines the best of both worlds
Ikiraro is an e-commerce marketplace where you can buy and sell products like on any online store, but with payments, fund custody, and identity built on blockchain technology. No endless carts waiting for bank confirmation, no middlemen keeping a cut of every transaction without adding real value.
Behind every purchase there's a wallet, not an account number. Behind every payment there's a smart contract, not a closed gateway. And behind every seller there's a verifiable reputation, not just an easy-to-inflate five-star rating.
How a purchase works
The journey is simple for the buyer, even though there's quite a bit of technology happening underneath:
You choose your product
Search among thousands of listings from verified sellers, from electronics to auto parts.
You pay in crypto
USDT or USDC, the two stablecoins the platform accepts. Each listing states which one the seller charges in, and that is the exact amount held in escrow.
Your funds go into escrow
The money doesn't reach the seller yet: it's held in a smart contract until you confirm receipt.
The seller ships
With trackable shipping and deadlines defined within the escrow contract itself.
You confirm and the payment is released
Only then does the contract release the funds to the seller. If something went wrong, the claim is handled within the same transaction.
Who can sell on Ikiraro
Anyone can open a store, but to operate we first verify identity (KYC) and link a wallet to the account. From there, every seller builds their reputation sale by sale: the better their service, the more visibility their listings get.
A fixed 6% commission, no fine print
Selling on a traditional platform usually costs 13% or more once you add the store's commission, the payment processor's fee, and some "service" charge that only shows up when you get paid. On Ikiraro the commission is a single, fixed 6%, no matter the category or the sale amount.
That's possible because there's no bank or processor charging to move the money: the payment goes from wallet to escrow contract and from there to the seller. Fewer middlemen, less cost, and that difference stays directly in your pocket.
Why choose Ikiraro
- Fixed 6% commission per sale, versus 13% or more on traditional platforms.
- No banks involved: your funds move between wallets, not checking accounts.
- Transparent network fees, visible before confirming every transaction.
- Funds protected by escrow until you receive what you bought.
- Global reach: buy and sell without borders or exchange rates imposed by a third party.
- Traceable reputation, tied to your verified identity and not to anonymous reviews.
Escrow isn't just for products
An escrow contract simply holds funds until a condition is met. That works just as well for a package being shipped as for a service being delivered, a rental being returned, or a vehicle changing owners. That's why on Ikiraro you can also sell services, rentals and vehicles with the same protection as any purchase.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to know about crypto to buy?
No. You need a wallet with a balance in USDT or USDC, but the rest of the journey is the same as any checkout: choose, pay, and wait for your shipment. The "crypto" part happens underneath, without you needing to understand it to use it.
Does Ikiraro ever hold my money?
No. The payment sits in a neutral escrow contract, not in an Ikiraro account. Neither we nor the seller can move it until the agreed condition is met (usually, that you confirm receipt of your purchase).
What happens if the seller doesn't ship on time?
Every escrow contract has a deadline to confirm shipment. If it expires with no updates, the transaction can lead to a claim or an automatic refund, without you having to negotiate it directly with the seller.
Why is the commission 6% and it doesn't change?
Because there are no banks or payment processors charging to move the money: the payment goes from wallet to escrow contract and from there to the seller. That simplicity is the same for any category or amount, so the commission is too.
Can only physical products be sold?
No. The same escrow contract protects the sale of a product, a service, a rental, or a vehicle. If there's a delivery and a confirmation, there's a place for that transaction on Ikiraro.
How much does the network fee (gas fee) cost?
We recommend operating on low-cost networks like Polygon, where the network fee usually costs less than US$0.01 per transaction. That's a fraction of what a congested network like Ethereum's main layer can charge, and you'll always see it reflected before confirming payment.