# Beginner FAQ ## What is Black Pearl Market? Black Pearl Market is an independent, non-custodial OTC protocol and tooling suite for PEARL and PRC20 assets. It combines EVM escrow, indexer-powered state, a web app, and Telegram-assisted workflows. ## Is it official PEARL infrastructure? No. Black Pearl Market supports PEARL ecosystem users, but it is independent and not endorsed by Pearl Research Labs, Pearl Compute, Black Pearl Compute LLC, Cipher Mining, or similarly named entities unless official channels state otherwise. ## Where does buyer USDC go? Buyer USDC is locked in the OTC escrow contract on Arbitrum One. It is not sent directly to the seller wallet. ## What is the PEARL HTLC model? It is the PEARL-side settlement flow where the seller locks PEARL and prepares a Taproot release path for the known buyer. It works with the EVM escrow contract that holds buyer USDC. ## Why is the release transaction safe? The buyer is known before the seller signs. The seller signs a transaction that targets the specific buyer, amount, and trade context, not a generic permission. ## What is the secret? The secret is wallet-secured protocol data used to coordinate settlement. Users should only use it through official wallet or contract flows and should never share seed phrases or private keys. ## What does `0x83` mean? It is the Taproot sighash byte used by the release signature. In the public docs, it is explained as part of the transaction-binding protection. Low-level implementation details should be verified against the current PEARL transaction rules. ## What fees apply? Buyers pay 0% Black Pearl Market protocol fee. Network gas still applies. The protocol fee is seller-side, currently 200 bps, equal to 2%, according to the production escrow configuration. ## What must sellers do? After a swap becomes claimable, the seller should claim USDC before the claim/refund window expires. In the current user-facing flow, treat this as about 2 hours unless the app shows a more exact timer. If the seller misses the window, the buyer may become eligible for refund. ## Are Bot-Assisted Orders different from Human-Confirmed Orders? They use the same contract lifecycle. Bot-Assisted Orders can automate eligible session steps. Human-Confirmed Orders may require the user or counterparty to confirm manually. ## Does the Telegram bot custody funds? No. The bot is an automation layer, not a custody layer. It does not persist user private keys or seed phrases. ## Can I use compatible PEARL wallets? Yes, when the wallet supports the relevant PEARL address format, network, and transaction behavior. Send a small test transaction before using a new wallet or address. ## What if the app or bot is unavailable? The escrow contract remains on-chain. Advanced users can inspect the verified Arbiscan contract and submit eligible actions when they have the right wallet, network, and parameters. Most users should use the app or bot when available. ## What are the official API and RPC URLs? * Public API: `https://indexer.blackpearlmarket.com` * Public PEARL RPC: `https://rpc.blackpearlmarket.com` ## How do referrals work? Use `/referral` or `/ref` in the Telegram bot. Referral claiming is paused while Black Pearl Market prepares a stronger competition and gamification model. Users can still share links and track activity before claiming is enabled. ## What are leaderboard points? Leaderboard points come from eligible trading activity and tier multipliers. Their full future utility has not been disclosed yet. Points are not a token, equity, or guaranteed financial reward unless future official rules say otherwise. ## How do I stay safe? Use official links, verify the contract address, check Arbitrum One before signing EVM transactions, and never share seed phrases or private keys. See [Verified Addresses and Official Links](/threat-model/verified-addresses.md). --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.blackpearlmarket.com/wallet/faq.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.