Release phase

Phase 5 — Release (Executing the Payout)

The Release Phase is where everything comes together — approvals turn into payouts, and logic turns into money movement. This is the only phase that actually moves funds out of the escrow and into the hands of the receivers.

It’s also the most restricted phase:

Only the Release Signer can execute the release.

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🔑 Who Can Release Funds

Every escrow designates one address as the Release Signer. That wallet — and only that wallet — can authorize the transfer of funds out of the escrow contract.

Depending on your workflow, this role can be configured in two main ways:

• As a “push” model — the platform or a neutral signer triggers the release to the receiver.

• As a “claim” model — the receiver is also the release signer, meaning they can claim their own funds once approved.

Both options are valid, and each suits a different kind of use case:

Use Case	Release Pattern	Example
Freelance marketplaces	Push	Platform acts as release signer, paying out after approval
Escrow-based payouts or grants	Claim	Receivers themselves trigger withdrawal
Automated dApps or DAO tooling	Push or Claim	Logic bots or scripts trigger release conditions automatically

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🧭 What Must Be True Before Release

The escrow enforces strict verification before funds can move.

Single-Release Escrow

• All milestones must have their approved flag set to true.

• No milestone can be in dispute.

• Once verified, the contract releases the entire escrowed amount (minus fees) to the receiver.

Multi-Release Escrow

• Only the milestone(s) being released need to be approved.

• Each milestone can be released independently.

• The contract disburses only the approved milestone’s amount to its corresponding receiver.

🧩 In essence:

• Single-Release: “Release everything.”

• Multi-Release: “Release just this part.”

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⚙️ What Happens When Release is Signed

When the Release Signer executes the transaction:

1. The contract verifies all conditions.

2. It calculates deductions:

   • Platform Fee (set during initiation, e.g., 1%)

   • Trustless Work Fee (protocol fee, fixed at 0.3%)

3. It transfers the remaining balance to the receiver’s address.

4. It updates the milestone (or entire escrow) with:

   • released: true

   • A release transaction hash (visible on-chain).

This event becomes a permanent, auditable record of payout completion.

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💬 Push vs. Claim — Two Faces of Release

Push

• The Release Signer (platform or operator) sends funds out proactively.

• Ideal for platforms that handle fund flow on behalf of users.

• Provides an extra layer of control and compliance.

Claim

• The Receiver is also the Release Signer.

• They simply “claim” their approved funds directly from escrow.

• Ideal for trust-minimized environments, grants, or bounty-style setups.

🧠 Both flows coexist within Trustless Work. The release logic doesn’t care who presses the button — only that the signer has permission.

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🌐 Visibility and Traceability

Every release emits a Release Event — a blockchain record containing:

• The escrow ID (contract address)

• The milestone(s) released

• The receiver address

• Amount sent

• Platform and protocol fees deducted

You can view these transparently through:

• Escrow Viewer — human-readable milestone and release records

• Stellar Expert — raw transaction details for verification and audit trails

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📦 Outcome of the Release Phase

By the end of this phase:

• The approved milestones (or full escrow) have been paid out.

• Platform and Trustless Work fees have been distributed.

• The escrow contract updates its flags (released: true) accordingly.

• A complete payout record is available both on-chain and in the Viewer.

💡 The Release Phase is where trust becomes settlement — money leaves the neutral zone and reaches its rightful destination.