Terms of Use

Last updated: March 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using the Sertone platform, handler software, smart contracts, or any associated services (collectively, the "Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use the Service.

These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("User," "you," or "your") and the operators of the Sertone platform. Your continued use of the Service following any modifications to these Terms constitutes acceptance of those modifications.

2. Description of Service

Sertone is a decentralized API marketplace operated as a non-custodial platform on the Base Layer 2 blockchain network. The Service enables API owners to monetize their APIs through per-call payments in USDC, and enables API consumers to discover and pay for API access through smart contract-mediated transactions.

The platform relies on a smart contract deployed on the Base L2 network, a handler application that users install and operate on their own infrastructure, and supporting internal platform services. The handler software supports multiple API protocols, presenting a unified interface to consumers.

The Service operates on a zero-knowledge, non-custodial architecture. The platform does not store, process, or have access to the content of API requests or responses transmitted between owners and consumers.

3. Account Registration and User Identity

To use the Service, you must provide a valid blockchain wallet address compatible with the supported network. You are solely responsible for maintaining the security of your private keys, seed phrases, and wallet credentials.

THE PLATFORM DOES NOT KNOW WHO YOU ARE. The platform does not collect, store, process, request, or have access to any personal identifying information whatsoever. The platform has no knowledge of your name, email address, physical address, phone number, government-issued identification, IP address, or any other information that could identify you as a person or entity. Your sole identifier on the platform is your blockchain wallet address, which the platform cannot link to any real-world identity.

The platform has no ability to determine, monitor, or record how you use the Service, what APIs you call, what data you send or receive, or any other aspect of your activity. All user activity is encrypted end-to-end and is invisible to the platform operators.

You represent and warrant that you have the legal capacity to enter into these Terms and that your use of the Service complies with all applicable laws and regulations in your jurisdiction. Because the platform has no knowledge of your identity or jurisdiction, compliance with local laws is entirely your responsibility.

4. Fees and Payments

API owners set their own per-call prices denominated in USDC. The consumer pays the owner's stated price. From this amount, a 5% platform commission is deducted and the remaining 95% is paid to the owner. There are no additional fees charged to the consumer beyond the owner's stated price.

The 5% platform commission is deducted automatically as part of each transaction. Delivery costs, if applicable, depend on the consumer's chosen delivery method.

All payments are processed on-chain through the platform's smart contract. Users are responsible for maintaining sufficient USDC balances and for paying any blockchain gas fees associated with their transactions.

Consumers must maintain a minimum deposit to initiate API calls. Unused deposits may be withdrawn at any time, subject to any pending transactions.

5. Non-Custodial Nature — No Access to User Funds

THE PLATFORM OPERATORS NEVER HOLD, CONTROL, ACCESS, OR HAVE CUSTODY OF ANY USER FUNDS, TOKENS, OR DIGITAL ASSETS AT ANY TIME, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. The only funds the platform operators ever receive are the 5% platform commission earned on each transaction, which is transferred automatically by the smart contract. The platform operators have no access to any other funds.

All user deposits, payments between API owners and consumers, and withdrawals are executed entirely by the smart contract. The platform operators cannot initiate, modify, block, freeze, seize, redirect, delay, or otherwise interfere with any user transaction or any funds belonging to any user. The platform operators do not have the technical ability to do so.

The platform operators do not operate any wallet, escrow, or custodial service on behalf of users. Users interact directly with the smart contract from their own wallets. The platform operators have no access to user private keys, seed phrases, or wallet credentials.

You acknowledge that the security of your funds depends entirely on the integrity of the smart contract code and the underlying blockchain network. You use the Service entirely at your own risk.

6. Zero-Knowledge Architecture — No Access to User Data or Activity

THE PLATFORM OPERATORS HAVE NO ACCESS TO, AND NO KNOWLEDGE OF, THE CONTENT OF ANY API REQUEST OR RESPONSE EXCHANGED BETWEEN USERS. All API payloads are encrypted end-to-end between the API owner and the API consumer. The platform operators cannot read, intercept, log, store, analyze, or reconstruct the content of any API call.

The platform operators do not store any user data. The platform does not maintain any database, log, or record of user activity, API call content, API call frequency, or API call patterns. The platform operators have no way to determine what APIs a user calls, how often, with what parameters, or what responses they receive.

ALL ENCRYPTION KEYS ARE GENERATED EXCLUSIVELY ON THE USER'S OWN HANDLER, RUNNING ON THE USER'S OWN INFRASTRUCTURE. The platform operators never generate, store, access, or have knowledge of any user encryption keys. The handler software runs entirely on premises controlled by the user, and all cryptographic operations occur locally on the user's hardware. The platform operators have no remote access to any user's handler.

Because the platform operators have no knowledge of user identity, user activity, or user data, the platform operators cannot comply with requests from any third party — including law enforcement, regulators, or courts — to produce information about specific users or their activity. Such information does not exist in any system controlled by the platform operators.

API specifications, pricing information, and other metadata voluntarily published by API owners to the catalog are considered public information and are not subject to the zero-knowledge guarantee.

7. Regulatory Position

7.1 Crypto-Asset and Financial Regulations

By virtue of its strictly non-custodial architecture, the platform does not hold, manage, transfer, exchange, or otherwise control digital assets belonging to users. The platform operators never take custody of user funds, do not operate a wallet service, do not facilitate exchanges between currencies, and do not act as a payment intermediary. The only digital assets the platform operators ever receive are the earned 5% commissions, which are transferred automatically by the smart contract as compensation for services rendered.

The platform operators believe that this non-custodial architecture means the Service falls outside the scope of crypto-asset, virtual asset, and financial services regulations that apply to custodial service providers, including but not limited to:

The platform does not perform, facilitate, or participate in: currency exchange, fiat-to-crypto conversion, crypto-to-crypto conversion, token issuance, lending, staking, custodial storage, payment processing on behalf of users, or any activity that would constitute operating as a money transmitter, payment service provider, virtual asset service provider (VASP), or crypto-asset service provider (CASP) under any of the above frameworks.

7.2 Data Protection and Privacy Regulations

The platform operators do not collect, store, process, transmit, or have access to any personal data, personal information, or personally identifiable information (PII) of any user. The platform does not know the identity of its users. The platform has no user database, no user profiles, no user accounts, no log of user activity, and no means of identifying or contacting any individual user. All user data processing occurs exclusively on the user's own handler, running on the user's own infrastructure, under the user's sole control.

Because the platform operators process zero personal data, the platform operators believe the Service falls outside the scope of data protection and privacy regulations that apply to data controllers and data processors, including but not limited to:

The platform operators cannot act as a data controller or data processor within the meaning of any of the above regulations because no personal data is collected, stored, or processed by the platform. Users who operate their own handler are solely responsible for any personal data that may pass through their own infrastructure under their own control.

7.3 User Responsibility

Notwithstanding the above, each user is solely responsible for determining and complying with all laws, regulations, and licensing requirements applicable to their own use of the Service in their own jurisdiction. The platform operators make no representation that the Service is appropriate or available for use in any particular jurisdiction. Users accessing the Service from jurisdictions where the Service or its underlying technologies are restricted or prohibited do so at their own risk and are solely responsible for compliance with local laws.

8. Prohibited Uses

You agree not to use the Service for any of the following purposes:

Violation of these prohibited uses may result in service restrictions applied to your account, as well as potential removal of your registered APIs from the catalog.

9. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED ON A STRICTLY "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS. THE PLATFORM OPERATORS MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND WHATSOEVER, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, STATUTORY, OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: (A) WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY; (B) FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE; (C) NON-INFRINGEMENT; (D) ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, OR COMPLETENESS; (E) QUIET ENJOYMENT; (F) TITLE; OR (G) THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, SECURE, OR FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS.

THE PLATFORM OPERATORS EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES THAT THE SERVICE IS SUITABLE FOR ANY PURPOSE WHATSOEVER. YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE SERVICE MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR NEEDS AND THAT YOU ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR EVALUATING WHETHER THE SERVICE MEETS YOUR REQUIREMENTS BEFORE USING IT.

YOU USE THE SERVICE ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. THE PLATFORM OPERATORS ASSUME NO RESPONSIBILITY WHATSOEVER FOR YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE OR ANY CONSEQUENCES ARISING THEREFROM.

10. No Quality of Service Guarantee

THE PLATFORM OPERATORS MAKE NO COMMITMENT, GUARANTEE, OR SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY, UPTIME, PERFORMANCE, LATENCY, THROUGHPUT, OR RELIABILITY OF THE SERVICE OR ANY OF ITS COMPONENTS.

The Service may be interrupted, suspended, degraded, or discontinued at any time, for any reason or no reason, without prior notice and without liability. The platform operators have no obligation to maintain, support, update, patch, or otherwise ensure the continued operation of any component of the Service.

The platform operators are not responsible for any downtime, data loss, transaction failures, delayed processing, missed API calls, or any other service disruption, whether caused by maintenance, technical failure, force majeure, third-party actions, or any other cause.

11. Absolute Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL THE PLATFORM OPERATORS, THEIR AFFILIATES, DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, CONTRACTORS, LICENSORS, OR SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

THIS LIMITATION APPLIES WHETHER THE ALLEGED LIABILITY IS BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STRICT LIABILITY, OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY, EVEN IF THE PLATFORM OPERATORS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, AND EVEN IF A LIMITED REMEDY SET FORTH HEREIN IS FOUND TO HAVE FAILED OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE.

IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AGGREGATE LIABILITY OF THE PLATFORM OPERATORS EXCEED THE LESSER OF: (A) THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF PLATFORM COMMISSIONS YOU HAVE PAID IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR (B) ONE HUNDRED US DOLLARS (USD $100.00).

12. No Indemnification by Platform

THE PLATFORM OPERATORS SHALL NOT INDEMNIFY, DEFEND, OR HOLD HARMLESS ANY USER FOR ANY REASON WHATSOEVER. THE PLATFORM OPERATORS HAVE NO OBLIGATION TO COMPENSATE, REIMBURSE, OR MAKE WHOLE ANY USER FOR ANY LOSS, DAMAGE, COST, EXPENSE, CLAIM, OR LIABILITY ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO THE USE OF THE SERVICE, REGARDLESS OF CAUSE.

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the platform operators, their affiliates, directors, officers, employees, agents, and contractors from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to: (a) your use of the Service; (b) your violation of these Terms; (c) your violation of any applicable law or regulation; (d) the APIs you register, operate, or consume through the platform; (e) any dispute between you and any other user of the Service; or (f) any third-party claim arising from your activities on the platform.

13. Assumption of Risk

You expressly acknowledge and assume the following risks associated with the use of the Service:

YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THESE RISKS, THAT YOU FULLY UNDERSTAND THEM, AND THAT YOU VOLUNTARILY ASSUME ALL SUCH RISKS. YOU AGREE THAT THE PLATFORM OPERATORS BEAR NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY OF THESE RISKS OR THEIR CONSEQUENCES.

14. Intellectual Property

The Sertone software, smart contract code, and all associated materials are the intellectual property of the platform operators and their licensors, and are provided to you under a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license for the sole purpose of participating in the Sertone marketplace.

You may not reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or create derivative works based on any Sertone software. You may not attempt to extract, reconstruct, or derive the source code, algorithms, data structures, or internal architecture of any platform component.

API owners retain all intellectual property rights in their APIs and the content served through them. By registering an API on the platform, owners grant the platform a limited license to include the API's metadata (name, description, specification, pricing) in the public catalog.

15. Dispute Resolution and Mandatory Arbitration

PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY. IT AFFECTS YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING YOUR RIGHT TO FILE A LAWSUIT IN COURT.

Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service, including the determination of the scope or applicability of this agreement to arbitrate, shall be resolved exclusively through final and binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association ("AAA") in accordance with its Commercial Arbitration Rules. The arbitration shall be conducted in Sheridan, Wyoming, United States, before a single arbitrator.

YOU EXPRESSLY WAIVE ANY RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY. YOU EXPRESSLY WAIVE ANY RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS ACTION, COLLECTIVE ACTION, REPRESENTATIVE ACTION, OR PRIVATE ATTORNEY GENERAL ACTION. All claims must be brought in your individual capacity, and not as a plaintiff or class member in any purported class or representative proceeding.

The arbitrator shall have no authority to award punitive, exemplary, or consequential damages. The arbitrator shall apply these Terms strictly and may not modify or disregard any provision herein. The arbitrator's award shall be final and binding, and judgment on the award may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.

The Sertone platform is operated by Mesa Operations LLC, a Wyoming limited liability company (30 N Gould St Ste R, Sheridan, WY 82801, USA), under license from the intellectual property owner.

16. Prevailing Party Fees and Costs

In any arbitration, litigation, or legal proceeding arising out of or related to these Terms or the Service, THE PREVAILING PARTY SHALL BE ENTITLED TO RECOVER FROM THE NON-PREVAILING PARTY ALL REASONABLE ATTORNEYS' FEES, EXPERT WITNESS FEES, ARBITRATION FEES, COURT COSTS, AND ALL OTHER COSTS AND EXPENSES INCURRED IN CONNECTION WITH SUCH PROCEEDING.

If any claim or action is brought against the platform operators that is found to be without merit, frivolous, or brought in bad faith, the claimant shall be solely responsible for all costs and expenses incurred by the platform operators in defending against such claim, including but not limited to attorneys' fees, expert fees, travel expenses, and administrative costs. The determination of whether a claim is frivolous or brought in bad faith shall be made by the arbitrator or court, as applicable.

You acknowledge that the comprehensive disclaimers, limitations of liability, and risk assumptions set forth in these Terms are clear, conspicuous, and unambiguous, and that initiating a claim that is inconsistent with these provisions may be deemed frivolous or in bad faith.

17. Statute of Limitations

YOU AGREE THAT ANY CLAIM OR CAUSE OF ACTION ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THE SERVICE OR THESE TERMS MUST BE COMMENCED WITHIN ONE (1) YEAR AFTER THE CLAIM OR CAUSE OF ACTION ACCRUES. FAILURE TO BRING A CLAIM WITHIN THIS PERIOD SHALL RESULT IN THE PERMANENT BARRING OF SUCH CLAIM. This limitation applies regardless of any statute of limitations that might otherwise apply.

18. Modifications to Terms

The platform operators reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time, for any reason or no reason, without prior notice. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. Material changes may also be communicated through the handler software's dashboard.

Your continued use of the Service after any modification constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree with the modified Terms, your sole remedy is to cease using the Service and withdraw any remaining deposits from the smart contract.

19. Automatic Process Scaling

The Service includes an automatic scaling feature ("Auto-Scale") that may, when enabled, spawn additional operating system processes or Docker containers on the host machine where the handler software is installed. This feature is designed to improve API response times and throughput by distributing workload across multiple instances of the user's registered API server software.

By enabling the Auto-Scale feature, you expressly acknowledge and agree that:

The default configuration enables Auto-Scale with conservative settings suitable for most hardware. Users who do not wish to use this feature should disable it immediately after initial setup through the administrative panel under Settings > Auto-Scale.

20. Remote Agents and Cross-Machine Deployment

The Service may include a remote agent component ("Agent") that allows the handler software to manage API server instances on machines other than the one hosting the primary handler. The Agent is a separate software component that connects to the handler via encrypted WebSocket and executes process management commands on the remote machine.

By installing and operating the Agent on any machine, you expressly acknowledge and agree that:

21. Telemetry and Resource Monitoring

When the Auto-Scale feature or Remote Agent is active, the handler software and/or Agent may collect and transmit the following system telemetry data for the purpose of making scaling decisions and displaying operational metrics in the administrative panel:

This telemetry data is used exclusively for local scaling decisions and is displayed only in the administrative panel of your handler instance. It is not transmitted to the platform operators, not stored on any external server, and not shared with any third party. The telemetry data resides solely in the handler's local encrypted database and in the RAM of connected Agents.

The platform operators make no guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of telemetry data. Scaling decisions based on telemetry are made automatically by the handler software and may not always produce optimal results. The platform operators are not liable for any scaling decision — whether to scale up, scale down, or maintain the current instance count — or for any consequence of such decisions.

22. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Wyoming, United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. To the extent any dispute is not subject to arbitration, the exclusive venue shall be the state and federal courts located in Sheridan County, Wyoming, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction of such courts.

23. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid by an arbitrator or court of competent jurisdiction, that provision shall be enforced to the maximum extent permissible, and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect. The invalidity of any single provision shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions.

24. Entire Agreement

These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and the platform operators with respect to the Service and supersede all prior or contemporaneous communications, proposals, and representations, whether oral or written. No waiver of any provision of these Terms shall be deemed a further or continuing waiver of such provision or any other provision. The platform operators' failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision.

25. Contact

The platform operators do not provide customer support, technical support, or any form of direct communication. There is no email address, phone number, mailing address, or contact form. The platform operators are under no obligation to respond to any inquiry, request, complaint, or correspondence from any user or third party.

Community-driven discussions may be available through public channels at the sole discretion of the platform operators. The availability of such channels does not create any obligation to respond, and may be discontinued at any time without notice.