⚒️Core Concepts

High-level architecture: Smart contracts, APIs, and escrow workflows.

Trustless Work enables programmable, non-custodial escrows tailored to your specific workflow. This section gives you the mental model and primitives to design, deploy, and scale smart escrow integrations.

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🔍 What Is a Smart Escrow?

A Smart Escrow is a smart contract that securely holds funds and only releases them when predefined conditions are met — like a milestone being completed or approved.

Escrows on Trustless Work are:

• 🔒 Non-Custodial — no third-party control

• ⚙️ Programmable — define roles and rules

• 💵 Stablecoin-native — supports USDC and XLM

• ⚡ Fast & Cheap — runs on Stellar + Soroban

→ Explore Smart Escrow Design

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🛠️ How It Works (In 3 Phases)

1. Set Up Define roles, amount, and milestone rules

2. Fund Lock stablecoins into the escrow contract

3. Execute Mark, approve, and release funds based on logic

→ Dive into the Escrow Lifecycle

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How It All Works Together 🏗️

👥 Key Roles in an Escrow

Roles determine who can:

• Mark work as complete

• Approve it

• Release or dispute funds

→ See Roles & Responsibilities

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🧱 Use Case Examples

• Freelance Marketplace

• DAO Grant Program

Explore full breakdowns in the Use Case Gallery.

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⬇️ Next Steps

• ✏️ Customize your roles
• 🔄 Test in our dApp
• 🌐 Deploy via API
• 🎓 Explore vertical use cases

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