Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of these terms

These Terms of Service (the “Terms”) govern your access to and use of Mehaleq (the “Service”), operated by Mehaleq (“Mehaleq”, “we”, “us”, or “our”). By creating an account, accessing, or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms and by our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

2. What Mehaleq is

Mehaleq is a custodial, peer-to-peer marketplace that lets verified users exchange the USDT stablecoin for Ethiopian Birr (ETB) with one another. Mehaleq holds USDT balances on your behalf and provides the tools to deposit, trade, and withdraw. The ETB side of every trade is settled directly between users off-platform, through the payment method agreed in the trade.

Mehaleq is a facilitator and custodian. It is not a bank, is not a counterparty to your trades, does not set the ETB price you agree with another user, and does not provide investment, tax, or financial advice.

3. Eligibility

To use the Service you must:

• be at least 18 years old and able to form a binding contract;
• provide accurate registration and verification information and keep it up to date;
• not be a resident of, or located in, a jurisdiction where use of the Service is prohibited, and not be subject to applicable sanctions or government watchlists;
• use the Service only for your own account, not on behalf of an undisclosed third party.

We may refuse, restrict, suspend, or terminate access where required by law, by our risk and compliance checks, or by these Terms.

4. Your account and security

You are responsible for safeguarding your login credentials and for all activity under your account. You must enable two-factor authentication (2FA) where required and complete additional step-up verification when prompted for sensitive actions such as withdrawals and trade releases. Notify us immediately at support@mehaleq.com if you suspect unauthorized access.

5. Identity verification & compliance

You must complete identity verification (KYC) before you can deposit, trade, or withdraw. We are required to perform anti-money-laundering (AML), counter-terrorist-financing, and sanctions screening, and you agree to provide the information and documents we reasonably request, including updated information over time.

We may place holds on funds or accounts, request the source of funds, report activity to competent authorities, and freeze or close accounts where we reasonably suspect fraud, unlawful activity, or a breach of these Terms. Where the law requires us to act, we may be unable to tell you the reason.

6. Custody of funds

USDT balances shown in the Service are held by Mehaleq on a custodial basis. Your displayed balance reflects the amount we hold for you and is the authoritative record of your entitlement; figures shown in the interface are for your convenience. Mehaleq does not hold or take custody of ETB at any point — ETB always moves directly between users.

7. Deposits

You may deposit USDT to the deposit address shown in the Service on a supported network. You are solely responsible for sending the correct asset on the correct network to the correct address. We cannot recover funds sent to the wrong address, on an unsupported network, or as the wrong asset. Deposits are credited only after sufficient on-chain confirmations.

8. Peer-to-peer trading

When you create or accept an offer, you agree the amount, price, and payment method with the other user. For the duration of a trade, the seller’s USDT is held in escrow by Mehaleq. The buyer pays the seller in ETB off-platform using the agreed method, the seller confirms receipt, and the USDT is released from escrow to the buyer.

• You are responsible for the ETB payment details you provide and for verifying that payment was actually received before releasing or confirming.
• Do not release USDT, or mark a payment as received, until you have independently confirmed the funds have settled in your account.
• Mehaleq does not guarantee, intermediate, or insure the ETB leg of any trade and is not a party to it.
• If a trade is disputed, you must cooperate with our dispute process and provide evidence. Our dispute decisions on the release of escrowed USDT are final for the purposes of the Service, without limiting your rights under applicable law.

9. Withdrawals

You may withdraw your available USDT balance to an external address you control, subject to verification, step-up authentication, and any applicable limits or holds. You are solely responsible for the accuracy of the destination address and network. On-chain transactions are irreversible: once broadcast, a withdrawal cannot be reversed, cancelled, or recovered by us.

10. Fees

Fees, if any, are disclosed in the Service before you confirm an action, and network (gas) costs may apply to on-chain transactions. We may change fees on a prospective basis by updating the Service.

11. Risks you accept

Using the Service involves risk. By using it you acknowledge and accept that:

• blockchain transactions are irreversible and final;
• stablecoins carry risk, including the risk that a stablecoin loses its peg, and Mehaleq does not guarantee the value of any asset;
• off-platform ETB payments carry counterparty and fraud risk that you bear;
• access to the Service may be interrupted, and regulatory changes may affect availability of features in your jurisdiction.

12. Prohibited activities

You may not use the Service to:

• engage in money laundering, terrorist financing, sanctions evasion, fraud, or any other unlawful activity;
• trade funds derived from crime, or on behalf of a sanctioned or prohibited person;
• impersonate others, create accounts using false information, or operate multiple accounts to evade limits or bans;
• interfere with, probe, scrape, or attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Service or its security; or
• settle trades outside the agreed terms or coerce, defraud, or abuse other users.

13. Suspension, freezing & termination

We may suspend, freeze, or terminate your account or specific functions, and withhold or freeze funds, where we reasonably believe it is necessary to comply with the law, respond to a legal request, protect users or the Service, or address a breach of these Terms. Where lawful and practical, we will tell you. You may stop using the Service at any time and request withdrawal of your available balance, subject to verification and applicable holds.

14. Disclaimers

The Service is provided “as is” and “as available”, without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, to the fullest extent permitted by law. We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure, or that any indicative rate or market information is accurate or complete. Nothing in the Service constitutes financial, investment, legal, or tax advice.

15. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Mehaleq and its officers, employees, and agents will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, data, goodwill, or funds arising from off-platform payments, incorrect addresses, or third-party conduct. Nothing in these Terms excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.

16. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold Mehaleq harmless from claims, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your use of the Service, your breach of these Terms, or your violation of any law or the rights of a third party.

17. Changes to the Service and these Terms

We may update the Service and these Terms from time to time. When we make material changes we will update the “Last updated” date and, where appropriate, notify you. Your continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

18. Governing law & disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, without regard to conflict-of-laws rules. The courts located in Ethiopia will have jurisdiction over any dispute, unless mandatory law provides otherwise. (Governing law, venue, and any dispute-resolution mechanism are subject to legal confirmation.)

19. Contact

Questions about these Terms? Email support@mehaleq.com.