Agent Terms & Conditions

1. Introduction

These Agent Terms & Conditions ("Agent Terms") govern your participation as a dispute resolution agent in the Zenland DAO protocol. These terms are in addition to the general Terms of Service, which also apply to you.

By registering as an agent, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Agent Terms and accept all associated risks, including the risk of losing your staked collateral.

Role of an Agent

Agents are independent third-party dispute resolvers who help settle disagreements between escrow parties (buyers and sellers). As an agent, you are expected to:

Act as a neutral, impartial arbitrator in all disputes
Carefully review evidence and communications from both parties
Make fair and reasonable decisions based on the escrow terms and evidence
Respond to dispute invitations within the required timeframe

Staking Requirements

To register as an agent, you must stake collateral in two forms: stablecoins (e.g., USDC, USDT) and DAO governance tokens. Your stake determines your Maximum Arbitratable Value (MAV) - the maximum escrow value you can handle.

Your staking requirements include:

Minimum stablecoin stake as set by DAO governance
Minimum DAO token stake as set by DAO governance
MAV is calculated as: Stablecoin Stake × MAV Multiplier (set by DAO)
Unstaking requires a cooldown period and no active cases

Response Time Requirements

When invited to resolve a dispute, you must respond within the agent response time (default: 7 days, configurable by DAO). If you fail to respond, either party can claim a timeout, which releases you from the case and may impact your reputation.

Consistent timeouts may result in reduced trust from escrow parties and potential DAO action. You should only register as an agent if you can commit to timely responses.

Slashing and Penalties

YOUR ENTIRE STAKE (BOTH STABLECOIN AND DAO TOKENS) CAN BE SLASHED BY DAO GOVERNANCE.

If you are accused of misconduct (e.g., accepting bribes, colluding with a party, or making clearly biased decisions), escrow parties or community members may file a complaint against you.

The Zenland DAO governance has the authority to slash your stake if they determine, based on evidence, that you have acted improperly. This is a community governance decision, not an automated process.

Slashing Process:

A party creates a complaint thread on DAOForum.org with evidence
The community reviews and discusses the evidence
If there is sufficient evidence of misconduct, a DAO governance proposal is created
DAO token holders vote on whether to slash the agent's stake
If the proposal passes, your stake is slashed and you become inactive

Slashing results in: (1) Partial or complete loss of your staked collateral, (2) Removal from the active agent registry, (3) Permanent record of the slashing on-chain. Slashed funds go to the DAO Treasury.

Prohibited Conduct

As an agent, you must not engage in:

Accepting bribes or payments from escrow parties outside of your stated fees
Colluding with buyers, sellers, or other agents
Handling disputes where you have a conflict of interest
Making decisions based on factors other than the escrow terms and evidence
Gross negligence or failure to review case materials
Attempting to manipulate or exploit the protocol

Agent Fees

You may set your own dispute resolution fee (within DAO-defined limits) when registering. This fee is deducted from the escrow amount when you resolve a dispute. You only earn fees when you actively resolve disputes.

Fee limits are set by DAO governance to prevent excessive fees. Currently, agent fees are capped at 10% of the escrow amount.

DAO Governance

The Zenland DAO has authority over protocol parameters that affect agents, including minimum stake requirements, MAV multipliers, fee limits, and slashing decisions.

By registering as an agent, you accept that:

DAO may change agent-related parameters at any time
DAO may vote to slash your stake for misconduct
Minimum stake requirements may be increased (existing agents are grandfathered)
Fee limits may be adjusted through governance

Independent Contractor Status

Agents are independent third parties, not employees, contractors, or affiliates of Zenland DAO. There is no employment, partnership, or agency relationship between you and the Protocol or DAO.

You are solely responsible for your own taxes, compliance with local regulations, and any professional licensing requirements that may apply to dispute resolution services in your jurisdiction.

Disclaimer

THE PROTOCOL PROVIDES NO GUARANTEE OF DISPUTE VOLUME, EARNINGS, OR INCOME. YOUR PARTICIPATION AS AN AGENT IS ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. THE PROTOCOL AND DAO SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSSES YOU INCUR AS AN AGENT, INCLUDING LOSSES FROM SLASHING, MARKET CONDITIONS, OR LACK OF DISPUTES.

Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, ZENLAND DAO, ITS CONTRIBUTORS, DEVELOPERS, AND DAO PARTICIPANTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR PARTICIPATION AS AN AGENT, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SLASHED STAKES, LOST EARNINGS, REPUTATIONAL HARM, OR ANY INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES.

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Zenland DAO, its contributors, developers, and DAO participants from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from: (a) your dispute resolution decisions; (b) your violation of these Agent Terms; (c) any claims by escrow parties related to your conduct as an agent; or (d) your violation of any applicable laws.

Termination

You may cease acting as an agent at any time by setting yourself as unavailable and unstaking your collateral after the cooldown period and once you have no active cases.

The DAO may deactivate your agent status through a governance vote if you are found to have violated these terms or engaged in misconduct.

Modifications

These Agent Terms may be modified through DAO governance. Continued participation as an agent after modifications constitutes acceptance of the new terms. Material changes will be announced through official DAO communication channels.

Entire Agreement

These Agent Terms, together with the general Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and the Protocol regarding your participation as an agent. These terms supersede any prior agreements or understandings.