Crowdfunding works best when there’s trust. Trustless Work makes that trust programmable.
Why Escrow for Crowdfunding?
The biggest challenge in crowdfunding is ensuring that funds are only released when progress is real. Backers want assurance their money is safe, creators want reliable payouts, and platforms need a transparent, scalable process.
Trustless Work’s non-custodial, milestone-based escrows give crowdfunding campaigns:
- Security: Funds are locked until agreed conditions are met.
- Transparency: Backers can verify funding and milestone status in real time.
- Flexibility: Platforms define who approves and releases funds — from internal teams to DAOs or independent reviewers.
How It Works
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Initiation
The campaign creator proposes a new campaign with clearly defined milestones (e.g., prototype completion, beta launch, final product delivery).
Once approved by the platform (or designated initiator), an escrow is created with roles and milestones configured. Platform fees can be set here. -
Funding
Backers deposit directly into the escrow smart contract. Funds are held securely on-chain, visible to all parties. -
Milestone Status Updates
The campaign creator updates milestone status upon completion. This is visible to backers, platform admins, and any assigned reviewers. -
Approval
The designated approver — which could be the platform, an independent reviewer, a DAO vote, or another trusted role — reviews milestone completion. -
Fund Release
Once approved, the release signer (which could be the same as the approver or a separate role for added security) authorizes the release. Funds flow to the campaign creator. -
Dispute Resolution
If a milestone is disputed, the predefined dispute resolution process kicks in — this could involve the platform, an arbitration DAO, or a community-based process.
Roles in the Crowdfunding Flow
Roles are flexible and can be assigned per campaign:
- Campaign Creator (Receiver) – Proposes milestones, receives funds.
- Initiator – Creates the escrow and sets configuration.
- Milestone Marker – Updates the status of milestones.
- Approver – Reviews and confirms milestone completion.
- Release Signer – Signs the final release of funds.
- Dispute Resolver – Handles disputes according to predefined rules.
- Platform Address – Receives platform fees.
Building with the Product Suite
Whether you’re running a hackathon project or a global platform, Trustless Work’s product suite lets you choose the fastest path to launch:
- Back Office dApp – Deploy and manage campaign escrows manually for MVPs and early pilots.
- Escrow API – Full programmatic control for production-scale platforms.
- Next.js SDK – Integrate escrow actions directly into your crowdfunding UI.
- Escrow Viewer – Give backers a public, read-only view of campaign progress and funds.
- Demo Lab – Test flows and configurations before going live.
Example Integration Models
- Back Office First – For early-stage platforms: manage all campaigns from our open-source back office while validating your model.
- Hybrid Back Office – Your UI handles pledges; approvals and releases happen in the back office.
- Full API Integration – Mature platforms with dev resources can embed escrow logic directly into their app.
- Transparency Add-On – Keep your own flow but use our Escrow Viewer for real-time campaign tracking.
Why It Works
- Launch Fast – Go from idea to working escrow campaign in a single day.
- Stay Flexible – Change roles and milestone structures as your platform evolves.
- Build Trust – Backers see progress, milestones, and fund security at all times.
🚀 Ready to secure your crowdfunding campaigns?
Try the Back Office for free or explore our API docs to build your own flow.
