How to buy and sell crypto on the P2P marketplace
Trade directly with another verified user using escrow, and follow the safety rules that keep the process boring and predictable.
What you need first
- A verified account.
- A payment method in your own name — a bank account, a transfer service, or a local payment app.
- Patience for the first trade. It is slower than it will be the second time.
P2P means peer to peer: you trade directly with another user rather than with the exchange. Usko sits in the middle holding the crypto in escrow so neither side can simply take the money and disappear.
How escrow protects you
When a trade starts, the seller's crypto is locked by Usko immediately. It cannot be spent or withdrawn while the trade is open. The buyer then pays the seller directly. When the seller confirms the payment has arrived, the escrow releases the crypto to the buyer. If either side goes quiet or something is wrong, a dispute brings in a moderator who looks at the evidence.
Buying: Step 1 — Choose an offer
Open P2P and select the buy side. Each offer shows the price, the minimum and maximum amounts, the payment methods accepted, and the seller's completed-trade count and rating. Compare those, not just the price — a slightly better price from someone with no history is not a bargain.
Buying: Step 2 — Start the trade
Enter your amount and start the trade. The seller's crypto is locked in escrow at that moment, and a timer begins. Read the seller's payment instructions carefully in the chat.
Buying: Step 3 — Pay from your own account
- Pay using the exact method and details shown in the trade.
- Send from an account in your own name. Third-party payments are the most common reason a trade goes wrong.
- Include a reference only if the seller asks for one. Never write “crypto”, “bitcoin” or similar in a bank reference.
- Keep the receipt.
Buying: Step 4 — Mark the payment as sent
Only after the money has genuinely left your account, mark the payment as sent. Marking it before paying is a serious breach and will count against you in any dispute.
Buying: Step 5 — Receive the crypto
When the seller confirms receipt, escrow releases into your account. If they do not respond within the trade window, raise a dispute and upload your payment proof.
Selling: the mirror image
- Choose the sell side, pick an offer or post your own with your price, limits and payment methods.
- When a trade opens, your crypto goes into escrow automatically.
- Wait for the buyer to pay, then check your own bank or payment app directly — open the app yourself, do not trust a screenshot.
- Only when the money is in your account and settled, release the crypto.
Safety rules that are not optional
- Never release crypto before the money is really in your account. Screenshots and “payment sent” notifications are trivially faked.
- Keep everything in the Usko chat. Moving to another messaging app removes your evidence and is a classic scam opener.
- Never cancel a trade because the other side asks you to. If you have paid, do not cancel — dispute instead.
- Beware of overpayment. Someone who “accidentally” sends too much and asks for a refund is usually setting up a reversal.
- Watch the reputation. Trade count and rating exist to be read.