Docs

How Hot Take works — from creating a bet to getting paid.

Overview

Hot Take turns hot takes into 1v1 bets. Two people commit USDC against each other from their balance, and a judge decides what happened. Stakes lock and settlement are processed under the Terms.

All funds are denominated in USDC, the settlement stablecoin on Base.

Bet Lifecycle
01

Create

Party A creates a bet with a claim, stake amount, and a judge — or names "lilcobie" to let Hot Take judge it. They can name a specific opponent — or post it as an open bet that anyone can join.

02

Fund

Both parties fund the bet from their protocol balance. Once both sides accept and fund, stakes lock per Terms.

03

Resolve & Settle

The judge resolves the market. After valid resolution, settlement is processed under the Terms — winnings credited to the winner's protocol balance.

Bet Statuses

A bet moves through these statuses. open and pending are alternative starting tracks depending on whether Party A named an opponent.

draft→open|pending→awaiting_arbiter→awaiting_funding→active→resolved
↓cancelled/expired
draftBet is being composed — not yet visible to others.
openPublic bet — Party A is committed and waiting for any challenger to claim the partyB slot. Expires 72h after posting if nobody joins.
pendingNamed challenge — submitted to a specific opponent who needs to accept.
awaiting_arbiterBoth parties agreed — waiting for judge confirmation.
awaiting_fundingJudge confirmed — both parties need to deposit their stake.
activeFully funded and live on-chain. Waiting for resolution.
resolvedJudge declared a winner. Funds credited per Terms.
cancelledBet was cancelled before resolution. Stakes refunded.
expiredResolution deadline passed, or bet wasn't fully funded in time. Refunds processed under the Terms.
Roles

Party A

Creates the bet and stakes one side of the claim. Can name a specific opponent or post the wager open.

Party B

Accepts the bet and stakes the opposing side. On open bets, any non-creator (except the judge) can claim this slot.

Judge

Neutral party who resolves the outcome. Cannot be a bettor in the same market.

Twitter Bot

Tag @lilcobiebot on Twitter with your bet details — parties, condition, stakes, and judge. The bot extracts the terms using AI and creates a bet automatically.

How it works

  1. @mention @lilcobiebot on Twitter with the bet details (who, what, how much).
  2. The bot extracts the terms from your tweet and creates a draft bet.
  3. The bot replies in the same thread with a summary and an action link.
  4. Your opponent accepts via Twitter reply or through the web app.
  5. All updates — acceptance, activation, resolution — are posted as thread replies.

Signing in with Twitter links your handle to your Hot Take account. Your Twitter username is displayed on all your bets so the community knows who's backing what.

Deposits

To make bets, fund your protocol balance with USDC on Base. Bets are made from your balance, and balance updates are processed under the Terms.

  1. Go to the Deposit page and enter an amount.
  2. Pay from your wallet (sign on Base) or by card — whichever the deposit screen offers.
  3. Once confirmed, your protocol balance is credited per Terms (usually within ~10 seconds).

Your protocol balance is denominated in USDC and can be used to fund bets. Winnings and refunds are credited per Terms.

Telegram Bot

Hot Take also runs on Telegram. You can create, accept, and manage bets directly through the Telegram bot — it's a full alternative to the Twitter flow.

Bot commands

  • /bet — Create a new bet
  • /accept — Accept an open bet
  • /resolve — Resolve a bet (judge only)

The bot sends notifications and deep links directly into the Telegram Mini App. Tapping a link opens the app and navigates you to the correct bet — no extra taps needed.

Smart Contract

The settlement contract is deployed on Base. It handles:

  • Escrow — holding funds for both parties
  • Resolution — judge declares the winner
  • Settlement — payout to the winner's balance per Terms
  • Refunds — on cancellation or expiry

Make bets from your protocol balance. Stakes lock and settlement are processed under the Terms.

FAQ

What token do I bet with?

USDC — a USD-pegged stablecoin, on Base.

Do I need a wallet?

No. When you sign in with Twitter, Telegram, Google, or email, a wallet is created for you automatically. Make bets from your protocol balance — stakes lock and settlement are processed under the Terms.

What happens if the judge doesn't resolve?

The judge can resolve any time once the bet is locked, and has until 7 days after the bet's resolution date to call it. After that the bet expires and both sides are refunded under the Terms.

What if we don't have a judge?

Name "lilcobie" as the judge (or pick "Hot Take judges it" on the web) and Hot Take settles the outcome for you — no human judge needed.

Can I cancel a bet?

Yes — before it goes active (fully funded on-chain). Once active, only the judge can resolve it. If the deadline passes without resolution, the bet expires and refunds are processed under the Terms.

How do I claim winnings?

You don't need to. After valid resolution, winnings are credited to your protocol balance per Terms.