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Watching auctions

Bidders who want to follow an auction without committing capital can add it to a watchlist. This is a per-wallet list stored in your browser's localStorage.

Adding to the watchlist​

On any auction detail page in the Open state, click Watch this auction below the "Place sealed bid" button.

The button toggles to Watching with a filled eye icon. Click again to remove.

The list is per-wallet:

  • Multiple wallets sharing the same browser see separate watchlists.
  • Switching wallets refreshes the list.
  • Disconnecting your wallet hides the watchlist entirely (it's still stored, but locked behind a wallet connection).

Viewing your watched auctions​

Go to My bids. Above the main bids table, a Watching section lists each watched auction that you haven't already bid on.

Each row shows:

  • Lot number and IP title
  • Reserve: Sealed (the reserve is encrypted; you can't see the floor from the watchlist any more than from the auction card)
  • State pill — updates live so you can spot when the auction enters Triggered or Settled

Auctions you've also placed a bid on are filtered out of the watching list since they already appear in the main dashboard.

Why watch instead of just bookmarking​

Three reasons:

  1. State updates. A bookmark is static; a watched auction's state pill updates as the contract emits events. You'll see Open → Triggered → Settled without refreshing the dashboard.
  2. Consolidated view. All your watched auctions are in one place, sorted alongside the auctions you've bid on.
  3. Closes the dashboard loop. When the auction settles, it disappears from your watching list (unless you bid on it, in which case it appears in the main bids table).

What watching doesn't do​

  • No notifications. SealedIP has no email or push notification system. If you want a reminder before closing, set your own calendar event using the absolute deadline shown on the auction page.
  • No commitment. Watching doesn't pre-approve any WIP, doesn't reserve a slot, and doesn't communicate anything to the seller. It's purely a private bookmark.
  • No transfer. Watching is local to your browser. Clearing storage or switching browsers wipes the list. The wallet doesn't sign anything to add or remove.
  • No reserve reveal. Watching the auction doesn't give you early access to the reserve. The reserve remains sealed until settle regardless of whether you're watching, bidding, or just browsing.

How it works under the hood​

The watchlist is stored under localStorage["sealedip:watch:<wallet-address-lowercase>"] as a JSON array of auction id strings. The web app reads and writes this key via the useWatchlist() hook in web/lib/hooks/useWatchlist.ts.

There's no on-chain footprint. Watching is purely a UI affordance.