Settlement

Settlement is the stage where a market's creator formally proposes the outcome after participation ends.

It is not the final word on a market. A submitted result can still be disputed. But settlement is where the resolution process begins — the creator looks at the real-world event, applies the market's rules, and submits what they believe the correct outcome is.

When settlement opens

Settlement does not open the moment a market closes. The creator must wait until the market's designated settlement time, which is set when the market is created and falls at or after the participation close.

Once that time arrives, the creator has up to 18 hours to submit and lock a result.

How the creator submits

When settlement opens, the creator is notified in the Notifications section. The creator can also find the market under Portfolio → Created and navigate to the market detail page to submit a result.

The creator selects the outcome they believe is correct — or, in cases where no valid result exists, may submit a void — and provides supporting evidence. Evidence typically includes a written explanation and any relevant source material that justifies the submitted result.

After the initial submission, the creator has a 2-hour revision window to change the selected outcome if the first submission contained an error. During this window, the creator can revise their choice as many times as needed.

The creator can also choose to click Lock Result to skip the revision window and lock the outcome immediately. Once the result is locked — either by the creator choosing to lock it or by the revision window expiring — the market transitions out of the settlement phase and the dispute window opens.

The settlement window

The window for settlement is time-bounded on both ends.

When the creator first submits, the deadline compresses. This is intentional: it limits how long the creator can continue revising their submission, and it gives the system a defined point after which the result must either be locked or treated as overdue.

Users participating in a market do not need to take any action during this window. The market is resolving in the background.

What happens if the creator misses the deadline

If the creator does not submit and lock a result before the deadline expires, the protocol handles the situation automatically:

• the market is voided
• any earnings the creator had accumulated during the market's participation phase are forfeited to the protocol treasury
• participants enter a refund path rather than a normal winner payout path

Missing the settlement deadline has direct consequences for both the creator and the market's participants. It is one of the most significant responsibilities a creator carries.

What participants should expect

During settlement, participants should expect:

• no new positions can be entered
• the market's outcome is proposed, not yet final
• a dispute window will open once the result is locked, during which the result can still be disputed
• if no dispute is raised and the window expires, the market moves toward finalization

Settlement is the first step in resolution — not the last. Understanding this helps participants read the market's current state correctly and know what may still happen before the final outcome is locked.