In all cases: the Bitcoin network is acting as an escrow service -- and it's conditions are release are: "Wait for further instructions that are agreed upon by any two of these three people."
BTW: I'm not proposing that this is the only way to escrow in the BTC network. I would like to see some kind of time-locked tx that prevents laziness, and doesn't give one party too much power. But I don't know how it can be done when tx-replacement isn't enabled on the network.
BTW: I'm not proposing that this is the only way to escrow in the BTC network. I would like to see some kind of time-locked tx that prevents laziness, and doesn't give one party too much power. But I don't know how it can be done when tx-replacement isn't enabled on the network.
I think it is really important that the bitcoins involved in failed escrows not be destroyed, but EVENTUALLY make their way back into the economy.
So I'd really like to see network and client support for having both people pre-sign and hold on to a transaction with a far-in-the-future lockTime (maybe as a fee-only transaction).