Skip to main content

Security and Safety

Several protections sit behind every trade. Merchants stake USDC and Circle Admins stake $P2P, so there is collateral behind the operators you transact with. Each Circle is backed by collateral and insurance reserves. Every order and settlement is recorded on-chain, so the history is transparent and you can verify any operation. Identity is checked with zero-knowledge proofs at signup, and the protocol screens against sanctions lists and monitors transaction patterns. Order placement is gated on-chain by reputation, transaction limits, and blacklist state.

Good habits protect you further. Keep the conversation inside the app, where it is recorded. Do not move a negotiation off the platform. Keep your payment receipts. Confirm the order amount, currency, and recipient before you submit. If something goes wrong, open a dispute promptly, document the problem with screenshots, and describe it clearly.

Treat the following as warning signs.

  • The other party asks to continue the conversation outside the app.
  • The price is far below the market rate.
  • You are pressured to close the trade quickly.
  • You are asked for sensitive data beyond what the flow requires.

If you see these signs, slow down and use in-app support before sending anything.