Core concepts

Resolution & settlement

Resolution is the moment a real-world outcome becomes a payout. This page walks through how SatoriEx decides which outcome wins and how disputes work.

Resolution criteria

Every market has explicit, pre-published criteria for what counts as the truth. Criteria are written when the market is proposed and never change after activation.

Sources of truth — the specific sources or evidence used to decide the outcome.
Edge cases — how postponements, ties, cancellations, or ambiguous reports are handled.
Resolution time — the moment the criteria are evaluated.

Stages, in order

Settlement is blocked while any dispute is open. An upheld dispute returns the market to Active (Trading) status — a fresh propose-and-confirm cycle is required before a new 2-hour window opens. A rejected dispute releases the market to Settle.

1
Trading
The market is open; orders match normally.
2
Halt
Trading pauses ahead of resolution. New orders are rejected; existing rests are frozen.
3
Proposed
A moderator (or higher) proposes the winning outcome with supporting evidence.
4
Approved
A separate admin (or super-admin) reviews and confirms the resolution. Two distinct roles are required — the proposer cannot also confirm.
5
Dispute window
Users have 2 hours to dispute. Open disputes block settlement until reviewed.
6
Settlement
Winning shares pay 1 USDC each. Losing shares are written off. The market closes.

Challenge period

After a super-admin proposes a winning outcome and a second super-admin confirms it, the market enters a 2-hour challenge period before settlement runs. Any verified user can dispute the proposed outcome during this window. The challenge period is the platform's safety net against incorrect resolution — settlement is paused while it is open and while any dispute is unresolved.

Item	Value
Dispute window	2h
Bond to file	10 USDC
Reward if upheld	+5 USDC
If rejected	Bond forfeited

How challenges work

Three outcomes are possible during or at the end of the 2-hour challenge period:

1. No dispute filed → fastest path
When the 2-hour window closes with no disputes filed, settlement runs automatically. Winning shares are credited 1.00 USDC each to user balances in a single atomic ledger transaction; losing shares are written off. Total time from resolution to payout: ~2 hours.
2. Dispute filed → moderator review
Any verified user can dispute the proposed outcome by posting a $10 USDC bond from their SatoriEx balance. The market remains in the PendingResolution status while the dispute is evaluated — settlement is paused but the market status does not change to a separate state. Multiple disputes on the same market can be filed in parallel; all must be resolved before settlement runs.
3. Dispute upheld → re-proposal, window restarts
If the dispute is upheld (i.e., the original resolution was wrong), the market returns to active (trading) status and the full propose-and-confirm cycle must restart on a new proposed outcome. A fresh 2-hour challenge period opens only after the new resolution is confirmed. The disputing user gets their $10 bond back plus a $5 USDC reward.
Dispute rejected → settlement proceeds
If the dispute is rejected (the original resolution was correct), the disputer's $10 bond is forfeited to the dispute reserve pool. Settlement then runs normally on the original proposed outcome once the window closes.

Who can dispute, what's needed

Disputing is permissionless among verified users, with two requirements:

Active SatoriEx account at KYC Tier 1 or higher.
$10.00 USDC available in your platform balance (no other restriction — you do not need to have traded on the market).
The dispute must be filed within the 2-hour challenge period. After it closes (without disputes), the market settles and disputes are no longer accepted.

How the challenge window works

Live as of 2026-05-14

The 2-hour challenge window and two-tier escalation model shipped on 2026-05-14. Every new resolution follows this flow. The 24-hour single-tier model described in the table above is retired.

1. 2-hour challenge window
Once a super-admin proposes the winning outcome and a second super-admin confirms, anyone can dispute for the next 2 hours. Most resolutions are uncontested; the shorter window means faster settlement when nobody disputes — total time from resolution to payout drops from ~24h to ~2h.
2. 1 dispute → moderator re-review
If a single dispute is filed during the 2-hour window, a moderator reviews the new evidence. If upheld, the market returns to active (trading) status and a full re-propose-and-confirm cycle is required; a fresh 2-hour challenge period opens on the new confirmed resolution. If rejected, the original proposal proceeds to settlement. The disputer's bond is returned + $5 reward if upheld; forfeited if rejected.
3. 2+ disputes → voter panel escalation
When two or more distinct disputes are filed on the same market within the 2-hour window, the case escalates to a voter panel. If the panel rules with the disputers (or the SLA expires without quorum, auto-uphold applies), the market re-proposes with a fresh window. If the panel rules with the original proposal, all dispute bonds are forfeited to the reserve pool.

This model is live

All resolutions created on or after 2026-05-14 use the 2-hour window + escalation tier described above. The legacy 24-hour single-tier model has been retired. Resolutions that were in-progress before the cutover completed under the old model.

Payout mechanics

At settlement, balances move from market escrow to user balances in a single double-entry transaction. The credit posts once the 2-hour dispute window closes with no upheld disputes — until then, your portfolio shows the position as pending.

Settlement is blocked while disputes are open

If any dispute is open against a resolution, settlement is paused for that market until the dispute is decided. Plan around the 2-hour window when integrating.