Honestly, I didn’t really understand for a long time what P2P is all about and why people even go there. Turns out, it’s simply crypto trading directly between people, without intermediaries and their fees. It sounds simple, but it works more interestingly than it seems at first glance.

Here’s what I liked about P2P trading: you have full control over the price, the settlement time, and who you trade with. Not like on regular exchanges, where algorithms decide for you when you should buy and sell. Here, you’re the king — want to sell for more, you sell for more; want to wait, you wait.

How does it work technically? The platform acts as an intermediary, but not in terms of fees. It just connects buyers with sellers, like Avito, but for crypto. The main difference is that escrow is used. Your crypto is locked in the system until both parties confirm the deal. If the seller received the money but didn’t send anything, the system won’t release the crypto. If there’s a dispute, you can file an appeal and sort it out with support.

The pros are obvious. First, you can trade with people around the world in minutes. Second, there are tons of payment methods — from bank transfers to cash when you meet in person. Third, often there are zero fees for buyers. Plus, there’s a ratings and reviews system, so you can see who you’re dealing with.

There are also cons. First, it’s slower than a regular exchange. If one side drags its feet, the whole deal stalls. Second, liquidity is lower. If you want to sell a large volume all at once, it can be a problem. For big deals, OTC or a standard exchange is better.

And here’s how to make money on this — that’s the interesting part. You can do arbitrage between fiat currencies. For example, Bitcoin is cheaper for dollars than for euros. You buy with dollars, sell for euros — and you profit. The main thing is to calculate the price difference before you buy, otherwise you could end up losing money.

The second method is arbitrage between different platforms. On one exchange, Bitcoin costs 21,000; on another, 21,100. You buy cheaper, sell higher, and earn $100 per coin. It sounds simple, but there’s a catch — exchange rates change quickly, and while you transfer the crypto from one exchange to another, the price might drop. Plus, there are fees for the transfers.

The third option is simply posting an ad. Want to buy Bitcoin for 20,000? You post an ad. Want to sell for 20,200? You post the second one. When someone agrees to your price, the deal starts. If you calculated the spread correctly, you earn the difference.

As for security, P2P isn’t as scary as I thought it used to be. Yes, there were problems with thefts and scams, but modern platforms have significantly improved protection. Escrow works, identity verification is strict, and there are regular security system updates. But still — any trading is a risk, and P2P is no exception.

Overall, if you’re okay with slow deals but want full control over the price and terms, then P2P is your option. You can make money through arbitrage, or you can just trade in a more convenient way. The main thing is to look more carefully at counterpart ratings and don’t rush into big volumes.