Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, always. No entry fees, no submission fees, no catches. Every competition listed on Counterparti is free to enter.

You do. By default, designers retain all rights to their submissions. Some competitions request limited licensing or rights to the winning entry — those terms are shown clearly on every competition page, and anything that goes beyond standard practice gets a visible warning before you enter.

Before a competition goes live, the organizer funds the prize pool into a verified escrow. You can see the contract address, the balance, and the on-chain transaction history on every competition page. The money is there before you submit anything.

After a competition closes, organizers have 30 days to announce a winner. If that window passes with no decision, the full prize pool can be distributed equally to all registered designers — no action needed from the organizer. Anyone can trigger this distribution.

Registering for a competition signals your intent to work on it. Registered designers can ask the organizer clarifying questions. You're also protected if anything goes wrong — if the competition is cancelled or abandoned, the prize pool is distributed among registered designers.

Yes, but only after you register. Answers are posted publicly so the whole community benefits. Registration takes one click.

If an organizer cancels a fixed-pool competition, 50% of the prize pool (less the platform fee) is distributed to registered designers, and 50% is returned to the organizer. Open pool competitions cannot be cancelled at all — contributors need that guarantee.

Nothing upfront. Creating a competition is free. The only requirement is funding the prize pool — minimum $100 — before your competition goes live. We take a 5% platform fee on all distributions.

We take 5% on every fund distribution — prize payouts, cancellation splits, and lapsed-deadline distributions. The fee is always shown clearly. There are no hidden charges.

Fixed-pool competitions can be cancelled, but it comes at a cost: 50% of the prize pool (less the 5% fee) goes to registered designers. The remaining 50% (less the 5% fee) is returned to you. Open pool competitions cannot be cancelled — contributors are protected from that possibility from the start.

Yes. Before you fund the escrow, you can abandon the draft and nothing is charged. Once funds are deposited, they are locked — the escrow contract prevents withdrawal by design.

When you enable an open pool, anyone can contribute to grow the prize fund. Prize splits are fixed percentages, so every tier scales proportionally as the pool grows. Open pools attract broader participation and can grow far beyond your initial seed amount.

You (the organizer) and any listed jurors can answer questions from your dashboard. Answers are public — everyone sees them.

From your organizer dashboard after the submission deadline. You have 30 days to announce results. If that window passes without action, the funds distribute automatically to registered designers.

Escrow means the prize money is held by a smart contract — not by us, not by the organizer. Neither party can move it unilaterally. Once funded, the money stays for the competition. Designers can verify the balance themselves before they submit anything.

USDC — a regulated, fully-reserved digital dollar. Prizes are denominated and paid 1:1 in US dollars. You don't need to understand crypto to use Counterparti; the infrastructure is invisible.

No. Once funds are deposited, they cannot be withdrawn by the organizer. The only exits are: a winner is announced, the competition is cancelled (with the 50% penalty), or the 30-day deadline passes and funds distribute to registered designers.

Open pool competitions cannot be cancelled by the organizer. If the 30-day judging window passes with no winner selected, funds are distributed to all registered designers. Your contribution is protected.

Yes. Counterparti retains a platform-only emergency function that can move funds to safety if a contract issue is discovered. This is a transparent escape hatch — the function is in the public contract code. We intend to remove this capability as the platform matures and the contracts are battle-tested.

A flat 5% fee on every distribution — prize payouts, cancellations, and automatic distributions. That's it. No listing fees, no entry fees, no subscription. We only earn when competitions succeed.

No. Counterparti handles wallets invisibly. You sign in with email — a wallet is created for you in the background. You'll never see a seed phrase or be asked to approve a transaction in a browser extension.

Base — an Ethereum Layer 2 network. Transactions are fast and fees are low (typically a few cents). You never need to interact with the chain directly.

It depends on the competition. Open competitions accept anyone; some are restricted to students, licensed practitioners, or invite-only participants. Each competition lists its eligibility requirements clearly.