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Open Challenges

An open challenge is a wager you post with no named opponent. Instead of sending it to one specific address, you get a four-word code to share with whoever you like — and the first person to take it with that code becomes your opponent.

It's the difference between "hey Alice, 10 USDC says it rains tomorrow" and "10 USDC says it rains tomorrow — first taker gets the other side, here's the code."

The app opens right here. Open challenges are FairWins' core mechanic, so the home screen is the create-a-challenge view itself — an amount keypad, a memo, and a resolution choice (either side settles, a third-party arbitrator, or an oracle where available). "Accept a challenge" and "My rewards" sit alongside it. Every other wager type (1v1, Make an Offer, group pools) lives under Transfer → Wagers — the same place you send and bridge money, because a wager is the third thing you can do with it. (It used to be its own Wagers menu entry; old /wagers links still take you there.)

How it works at a glance

  1. You create an open challenge and the app gives you a four-word code (e.g. river tiger kite zoo).
  2. You share that code however you like — text, DM, QR, a deep link.
  3. Anyone with the code can look up the challenge, read its terms, and take the other side by staking the matching amount.
  4. Once taken, it's a normal wager — it resolves and pays out exactly like any other.

The code does three jobs: it finds the challenge, decrypts its private terms, and authorizes acceptance. It is generated in your browser and never sent to any server.

Save your code — it cannot be recovered

The four-word code is the only way to find, read, or take your challenge. We don't store it and it can't be reset. If you lose it, no one can take the challenge (you can still cancel it to get your stake back). Anyone you give the code to can take the other side, so share it only with the people you intend to.

Who can create and take one

  • Creating an open challenge requires a Silver membership or above.
  • Taking one requires any active membership tier (Bronze and up).

Creating an open challenge

  1. From the Dashboard choose Open Challenge.

  2. Enter the wager description, the stake (each side stakes the same amount — equal stakes only), and how it's resolved:

    • Either side submits the outcome, or
    • A named third-party arbitrator decides (enter their address).

    Single-party self-resolution (Me / Them) isn't offered for open challenges, because the opponent is unknown when you post it. 3. Confirm the wallet prompts — approve your stake, then create. Your stake moves into escrow immediately. 4. The app shows your four-word code plus a QR code / link. Save the code now (see the warning above), then share it.

Taking an open challenge

  1. Open the app and choose Enter a phrase (or open the link / scan the QR someone sent you — the code is filled in for you). This single entry point works whether the four words point to an open challenge or a group pool.
  2. Enter the four words and select Find. The app looks it up and shows the (decrypted) challenge terms.

  3. Select Accept challenge. Taking the other side escrows your matching stake, so acceptance is a short, guided sequence:

    1. Approve the stake token — lets the wager contract escrow your stake.
    2. Sign to authorize acceptance with your code (a free signature, no gas).
    3. Confirm the acceptance transaction — your stake joins the creator's in escrow.

    The app shows this as a checklist and highlights the active step.

Why three steps?

The approval is a separate token transaction that lets the contract pull your stake; the signature proves you hold the code and binds acceptance to your wallet so no one can replay it. If you ever see "transfer amount exceeds allowance", the approval step didn't go through — retry and approve the token.

After it's taken

The wager is now Active and behaves like any other:

  • It resolves per the type you chose (either side, or the named arbitrator).
  • The winner claims the full pot; a draw returns each side's stake.
  • If it never resolves by the deadline, either party can claim a refund.

See Resolving a Wager for the settlement and refund paths. Keep your code even after acceptance — it's how you re-read the private terms later.

Cancelling an un-taken challenge

If no one has taken your challenge yet, you can withdraw it from My Wagers and your stake is returned. Open challenges can't be declined by a taker — only you, the creator, can withdraw one before it's taken.