A2. Match & Settle

This section covers the settlement mechanism for Proof-of-Verification minted tokens, including energy certificates and carbon credits. The principle remains unchanged: No proof. No token. No payment.

Transaction Methods

Our marketplace supports multiple transaction pathways to accommodate different trading strategies and buyer preferences:

• Buy Now: Immediate purchase of the entire lot at the listed price

• Make Offer: Propose custom price and quantity; seller accepts to settle

• Batch Sale: Seller sets a bidding window; bids clear at one price with pro-rata fills if oversubscribed

• Retire Now: Skip custody entirely and retire directly to your account

Partial fills are permitted when sellers enable this option, with the remainder staying live on the marketplace.

Pre-Settlement Verification

Before any transaction can proceed, our system performs comprehensive background checks to ensure integrity and compliance. These checks happen automatically and instantaneously.

First, we verify account status. Both buyer and seller must have passed KYC and KYB verification for the specific asset category. Next, we confirm proof validity—the PoV badge must remain active, and the One-Claim system verifies that the serial and claim are unique and have never been used before.

Financial checks follow. The buyer must hold sufficient EDSD for the purchase, and the protocol fee in EDM is calculated and displayed upfront. Finally, we screen for sanctions and restricted locations to ensure full regulatory compliance.

If any check fails, the transaction cannot begin.

Reservation and Confirmation Flow

Our settlement process is designed for speed and transparency. When a buyer initiates a purchase, the system creates a short reservation hold, typically lasting 2 to 5 minutes. During this window, the buyer sees exactly what they'll pay, including the itemized fee breakdown and the net amount the seller will receive.

Upon confirmation, the buyer's EDUSD is locked for the transaction, and the EDM fee becomes final. If the buyer doesn't confirm within the reservation window, the hold automatically releases and the listing returns to active status.

Settlement Execution

Settlement happens in seconds, with different outcomes depending on the buyer's choice.

For Standard Purchases: Ownership transfers from seller to buyer, with the option to direct assets to chosen custody. EDUSD moves from buyer to seller, net of fees. The protocol fee is paid in EDM—4% total for energy and carbon transactions, split equally between buyer and seller. Critically, 50% of this protocol fee is permanently removed from token supply through on-chain burning, while the remainder supports attestors, network operations, and ecosystem development.

For Retirement Transactions: The token is immediately retired to the buyer's account, generating a comprehensive retirement receipt that includes timestamp, quantity, methodology, region, and serial claim reference. The same fee structure applies, with the seller receiving net EDUSD.

Transaction Documentation

Both parties receive detailed settlement receipts containing:

• Precise timestamp

• Unit quantities

• Transaction price

• Itemized fee breakdown

• Net amount to seller

• PoV and One-Claim verification links

Additionally, a public Explorer page provides human-readable documentation of the listing, complete proof trail, and settlement or retirement reference. Network fees are handled automatically in the background—users never need ETH on the EDMA network.

Batch Sale Mechanics

When sellers opt for batch sales, a unique clearing mechanism activates. All bids clear at a single price at the end of the bidding window. If the sale is oversubscribed, fills are distributed pro-rata among bidders. Allocation details and receipts are posted immediately after the window closes. To prevent last-second manipulation, a short auto-extension activates near the end of the bidding period.

Safety Mechanisms and Exception Handling

Our system includes robust safeguards against fraud and verification failures. If any proof is revoked or expires while a listing is live or settling, EDMA automatically freezes the transaction. If the issue cannot be resolved quickly, funds are returned to the buyer and the lot is delisted.

Post-settlement disputes, while rare, are handled through our evidence-first exception review process designed specifically for token transactions.

Programmatic Access

For institutional and high-volume traders, we provide comprehensive API access:

• Reserve, Confirm, and Retire endpoints

• Webhooks for transaction status updates (reserved, settled, retired, frozen)

• CSV and JSON receipt export capabilities

Our Settlement Promise

Every transaction on EDMA follows a simple principle: transparency, verification, and instant settlement. You see the proof before you buy. You see the complete fee structure and net proceeds. Money only moves when the asset is fully verified. You leave with a receipt that can be shown to auditors, regulators, or any third party.

No proof. No token. No payment.