Bit/BlackHalo and BitBay doesnt use escrow, parties dont risk losing funds at all, it cant be hacked, it can enable barter. *sigh* ... perhaps its because I dont have enough time to do marketing so vaporware always wins.
So, the thing called "double deposit escrow" isn't escrow? Where are the funds kept for the duration of the transaction? If the contract is broken and both sides lose, where does the escrow money go?
In theory no it is not. It is in fact a joint account. Please read my whitepaper on BitHalo.org to see how its done. Basically, you withhold one critical transaction to a temporary account for leverage in negotiating a time bomb. Then both parties have a copy of that and to prevent malleability both parties can either negotiate a refund or refuse to proceed until the bomb is signed. Then once its signed they fund a joint account.
The joint account has only 2 keys. So no actual escrow is needed. Both parties made a deposit simultaneously and even possibly advanced an amount. Any instant refunds would be based on the same txid as a time bomb so again malleability cant be performed. I think the same logic can be used for AT.
Hope that helps. The short answer to your question is: "It is stored in a joint account, there is no escrow, just double deposit"
Instead we could say "2 party escrow" as stated in my paper.
You say "joint account, there is no escrow" and then say we can call it "2 party escrow". That makes no sense.
Where is the joint account/escrow physically located during the transaction and what happens to the money if the timebomb goes off?
I agree it doesnt make sense but this is the first time we have ever lived without escrow. So you are 1/2 of the escrow, they are the other 1/2 think of it that way. Escrow is just a word for an intermediary that holds the paperwork and funds for the execution of the contract. Since there is no escrow agent, the agents themselves are the parties involved.
So maybe we need to invent a new word for this.
A typical contract can be seen on the blockchain from start to finish.
https://chainz.cryptoid.info/bay/tx.dws?3f5948d0b137f3d3151c5c4ecde2bd1eb6208169a1730cffed138bf66fa3810b.htm
That transaction shows the two inputs from different addresses, their temporary accounts, then also the "escrow"/joint account and the release back to the parties.
Notice the inputs of 2 and 4 from separate addresses and outputs of 4 and 2 respectively.
The bomb is held by both parties and is never broadcasted. However BitBay will automatically submit this bomb AND delete the key to the escrow destroying the funds in two ways if the time limit runs out.