Payments on WeTheNorth: BTC, XMR and Canadian dollars
WeTheNorth keeps its money system deliberately simple: two cryptocurrencies in, everything priced in CAD, and escrow holding the middle. Here is exactly how it works for buyers and vendors.
Deposits — Bitcoin or Monero
Open your account wallet, choose BTC or XMR, and the market generates a deposit address for that transaction. Send your crypto and wait for network confirmations. The balance appears in your account in CAD-equivalent at the market's displayed conversion rate.
Which coin should you use? Bitcoin is easier to buy at Canadian exchanges. Monero is private by default — amounts, sender and receiver are hidden on-chain — which is why long-time darknet users prefer it. Both are first-class citizens on WeTheNorth; pick based on how much privacy work you want to do upstream of your deposit.
Shopping — everything in CAD
Listings, cart totals and order values are all displayed in Canadian dollars, converted from your coin at checkout. No mental math from USD. Vendors set prices per unit with quantity options, and the checkout screen shows the escrow-protected total before you commit.
Escrow — the part that protects you
| Stage | What happens to your money |
|---|---|
| Order placed | Moved into escrow — the vendor can see it is secured but cannot spend it |
| Vendor ships | Order marked shipped, tracking attached; escrow keeps holding |
| You finalize | Escrow releases the funds to the vendor |
| Dispute opened | Moderators review evidence from both sides before releasing |
Escrow is not optional on WeTheNorth — it is the market's core promise. A vendor asking you to "finalize early" (release escrow before delivery) is asking you to give up your only leverage. Market rules allow a ban for pushing it; buyers who accept it have no recourse if the package never comes.
Vendor side — the flat 5%
Sellers pay a flat 5% commission on completed sales — refreshingly simple by darknet standards, where 5–10% plus withdrawal fees is common. Vendors are required to hold a PGP key before they can sell, and the vendor bond/fee structure is designed to keep throwaway scam accounts out. Withdrawals follow the same wallet page, typically processed after confirmation like any other crypto transaction.
Practical safety with market balances
- Deposit what you need, not more. A market balance is exposure — top up per order if you prefer.
- Test deposits first. First-ever deposit? Send the minimum, confirm it lands, then send the rest.
- 2FA before funding. Never hold a balance on an account without two-factor authentication enabled.
- Withdraw when done. Finished shopping for the month? Take the remainder back out to your own wallet.