Why did someone get an invite instead of my message?

Gnesi checks the recipient while you type. A reserved Gnesi account, including a verified custom domain, gets the conversation on Gnesi.

Everyone else is not a Gnesi account, even if the address looks close. They start with the email they already use. The full message stays on Gnesi. They receive a short email from hello@gnesi.io with the reason to join, the contact type, any USDC you offered, and a link to gnesi.io. The body is not in that email. When they use the Gnesi app, that history is already here.

The offered amount stays held. It is not paid out because the invite was sent.

An address is not confirmed just because it ends in @gnesi.io. The local-part has to be reserved.