Frequently Asked Questions

You can get started across multiple platforms:
- **iOS & Android**: Download the mobile app for full features, Coinbase embedded wallet, and fiat onramp/offramp.
- **Telegram**: Chat with @ShakeDefiBot or open the Telegram mini-app to create escrow deals and connect your Telegram wallet or Tonkeeper.
- **Farcaster**: Open the Shake mini-app on Farcaster and transact with your native Base ETH wallet.

Shake DeFi is available on iOS, Android, Telegram, and Farcaster, supporting:
- **Coinbase Embedded Wallet** (iOS & Android): Full feature access including fiat onramp/offramp and Rubic currency swapping.
- **Telegram Wallet & Tonkeeper** (Telegram): Transact with TON and USDT, browse the P2P Marketplace channel, or chat with @ShakeDefiBot.
- **Native ETH Wallet** (Farcaster): Transact on the Ethereum Base network directly from your Farcaster client.

Post to Marketplace is an optional way to share your Shake listing with the Shake Marketplace Telegram channel so more potential buyers can discover it.

No. Sharing is optional. You choose whether each listing is posted to the Shake Marketplace Telegram channel.

A Marketplace post shares your listing's photo, description, price, and location so buyers can quickly understand what you are offering.

You can browse current listings in the Shake Marketplace Telegram channel.

Paste to Escrow lets you turn any item you find on a peer-to-peer marketplace (like Craigslist, OfferUp, or Facebook Marketplace) into a secure escrow transaction. Simply copy the listing text to your clipboard and paste it into Shake DeFi — either on the app's Payment screen or in a chat with @ShakeDefiBot on Telegram. Shake automatically parses the details, lets you select your desired cryptocurrency, and invites the seller to join a smart-contract-protected escrow.

With @ShakeDefiBot on Telegram, you can paste any marketplace listing directly into your chat to generate an escrow contract, open the Shake Telegram mini-app, connect TON or Ethereum wallets, and pay with TON, USDT, USDC, or ETH — all without leaving Telegram.

An escrow is like a safe that keeps the money secure and ensures both the customer and business are fulfilling their obligations before the exchange is made.

For example, let's say you're buying a used phone from someone you found online. Normally, you'd meet up, pay them on the spot, and hope the phone works. But if it's broken or not what they promised, it's already too late — the money's gone.

With escrow, instead of paying them directly, your money goes into a secure holding account for a fixed amount of time. The seller sees the money is there, and hands over the phone.

During the waiting period, you check the quality of the phone. If you discover it's broken, you would dispute the transaction and request a refund. If the phone works, the money is released to the seller once the waiting period is over.

In essence, the escrow:
1) Protects businesses by ensuring that the customer's payment is ready and available for transfer once the waiting period is over
2) Provides protection for both parties by ensuring funds are held securely and can only be released according to the agreed escrow terms, including refunds when warranted by a dispute outcome.

To learn more, see the "How it Works" page.

Timed escrow: No. Merchants can choose any escrow duration from 0 to 180 days, and it can be set to 0 for an instant transfer with no waiting and no refund window. You still get all of Shake's other protections: identity verification, a signed agreement with photos, thorough transaction documentation, and buyer ratings. The escrow period is the right choice when you want to give buyers a safety net — instant transfer is the right choice when the sale is straightforward and both parties are ready.

No prior cryptocurrency experience is required. Shake makes crypto payments as straightforward as everyday payment apps. You don't have to speculate on volatile crypto markets or manage complicated seed phrases — on mobile, you can easily fund your wallet with a debit card or bank account via Coinbase Onramp and transact using price-stable assets like USDC (pegged 1:1 to the US dollar). When you receive funds, you can cash out back to your bank account with Coinbase Offramp. Shake never stores or processes fiat money directly; all escrow transactions settle securely on the blockchain.

Shake is available for those over the age of 18. Creating a Shake account requires identity verification from the Persona service (withpersona.com).

Yes! Shake supports flexible payment options across supported cryptocurrencies: USDC, ETH, TON, and USDT, plus Bitcoin and Staked ETH via swapping. On mobile, you can transfer cryptocurrency to your Coinbase wallet in the app and convert it using the built-in Rubic swap feature. On Telegram, you can pay with TON or USDT via your Telegram wallet or Tonkeeper. On Farcaster, you can transact directly using your native Base ETH wallet.

Note: Coinbase and Rubic swap services are not available in all countries.

No, you specify which crypto you want to receive (such as USDC, ETH, TON, or USDT). When buyers pay with a different cryptocurrency like Bitcoin or Staked ETH, they use the built-in swap feature to convert it to your preferred currency before the transaction completes. You always receive exactly what you requested. When withdrawing funds, mobile users can offramp to fiat via Coinbase, while Telegram, Tonkeeper, and Farcaster users receive settled funds directly to their connected wallets.

Timed escrow: Payments typically confirm on-chain in seconds. The "waiting" you see in Shake isn't transfer time—it's escrow protection. You choose an escrow duration between 0 and 180 days (for example, 3 days, or 0 for instant settlement). During this agreed window, the buyer can inspect the purchase and file a dispute if needed. After that window closes without a dispute, there is a standard 3-day arbitration buffer before automatic release at the baseline 0.1% fee. If a merchant wants to get paid immediately right when the buyer's escrow period ends, they can use early withdrawal for an additional fee (up to 0.9% additional, for a total fee of 1.0%): withdrawing earlier during the buffer incurs 0.4% (1 day early), 0.7% (2 days early), or 1.0% (3 days early). Shake does not charge a separate instant transfer fee; normal network fees may apply.

Fees range from 0.1% to 1%. Timed escrow starts at 0.1%; 2-of-3 escrow costs 1%.

Blockchain network fees may also apply, and are paid directly to the network. Currency conversion (fiat ↔ crypto) is handled by Coinbase Onramp and Offramp, which may apply their own fees depending on the asset used. Currency swapping between cryptocurrencies uses the Rubic protocol and includes standard swap fees.

Shake does not add hidden fees, does not take custody of funds, and does not charge recurring subscription fees for basic use.

In most countries, including the United States, cryptocurrency transactions are taxable events. This applies to Shake transactions as well. There are three main transaction types to be aware of:

1) Paying for goods or services with crypto is treated as a disposal of that asset. If the crypto's value increased since you acquired it, you may owe capital gains tax on the difference.
2) Swapping between cryptocurrencies (e.g., converting Bitcoin to USDC via Shake's built-in swap feature) is also generally treated as a taxable event in the U.S.
3) Receiving crypto as a merchant is typically treated as ordinary income at the fair market value at the time of receipt.

Crypto tax tools like CoinLedger and Koinly make this process straightforward. They can import your on-chain transaction history — including Shake transactions, which are permanently recorded on the blockchain — and automatically calculate your gains, losses, and income.

No, there are no income requirements to use Shake.

Yes, you can accept international transactions from any other Shake user.

Shake is not available in Brazil, Mexico, Taiwan, Japan, and United Kingdom.

There are no spending limits or transaction caps imposed by Shake itself.

Shake DeFi is the arbiter for timed escrow. With 2-of-3 escrow, buyer and merchant choose their own arbiter. The arbiter acts as a tie-breaker in disputes and earns a 0.5% commission on the transaction amount.

Shake protects against fraud and unauthorized transactions with verified identities, signed agreements for each transaction, and verifiable on-chain proof of payment, backed by detailed records for dispute resolution.

Your payment is held in a smart contract and released according to the agreed escrow terms. Shake DeFi never takes custody of your funds.

Shake encrypts all data and logs every detail: Time, location, signatures, and photos that you provide. Each party's device also takes a front-facing photo of the signer as they are signing. Delivery confirmation can be uploaded, and the system confirms the money is available before a transaction happens.

Identity checks, signed agreements, and user ratings help participants make informed decisions and establish accountability.

While transactions are recorded on the blockchain (which is publicly viewable but anonymous), personal Shake accounts and blockchain accounts are not publicly associated.

While this isn't currently supported, it is on our roadmap for future implementation.

Shake Defi, Inc. is incorporated in Brookfield, Wisconsin, United States .

With 2-of-3 escrow, buyer and merchant choose their own arbiter. The arbiter acts as a tie-breaker in disputes and earns a 0.5% commission on the transaction amount.