Escrow Properties

An escrow is just structured data — a JSON body that defines how funds are held, released, and tracked. Each property tells the contract who does what, when funds move, and under which conditions.

TLDR:

• Single-Release → all milestones must be approved for one payout.

• Multi-Release → each milestone unlocks its own payout.

Below we break down the core properties of every escrow, and then highlight the differences between Single-Release and Multi-Release.

Single Release escrow

Core Structure

• Escrow ID The on-chain identifier of the contract (also the deposit address). This is where funds are actually sent and locked.

• Engagement ID & Title Configurable strings that help you identify the escrow in your own system — for example, linking it to an invoice, project ID, or marketplace order.

• Description Human-readable explanation of the escrow’s purpose. Useful for context in dashboards, audits, or dispute resolution.

• Roles Every escrow defines who can act on it:

  • Approver → validates milestone completion

  • Service Provider → delivers the work

  • Platform Address → the platform itself, able to take fees or adjust config before funding

  • Release Signer → executes the release of funds

  • Dispute Resolver → arbitrates conflicts, can re-route funds

  • Receiver → final destination of the funds 👉 See Roles for full detail.

• Amount & Platform Fee

  • Single-Release: the total amount to be paid once conditions are met, plus an optional platformFee percentage sent to the platform.

  • Multi-Release: the total amount is distributed across milestones (each milestone defines its own amount). The platform fee still applies globally.

• Trustline Defines the token being used (address and decimals). This is how Stellar escrows know which asset to accept. Typically USDC, but any Stellar-issued token is supported.

• Flags Internal state markers that describe what’s happening:

  • disputed → a party raised a dispute

  • released → funds have already been released

  • resolved → a dispute has been settled

  • approved (Multi-Release only) → milestone has been approved by approver

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Milestones

Milestones define what must be completed to unlock funds.

• Single-Release Escrow

  • You can define one or many milestones, but the release is all-or-nothing.

  • Funds are only released once all milestones are approved.

  • Each milestone tracks:

    • description → what’s being delivered

    • status → pending, approved, in dispute, etc.

    • evidence (optional) → proof of delivery

    • approvedFlag → true when the approver signs off

• Multi-Release Escrow

  • Each milestone has the same properties as the single release, plus its own amount and flags.

  • When a milestone is approved, its funds can be released without waiting for others.

  • Milestones include:

    • amount → how much is unlocked upon approval

    • flags → released, disputed, resolved

    • Receiver → final destination of the funds

This structure allows a project to fund and release in phases, not all at once.

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Putting It Together

• Single-Release = one payout, triggered when all milestones are approved. Amount + release & dispute flags live at the top level of the escrow.

• Multi-Release = multiple payouts, each milestone has its own amount and flags. The total escrowed amount is distributed across milestones.

Both share the same core structure — IDs, roles, description, trustline, and platform fee. The difference is:

• Single-Release → milestones are “checkpoints” for one big release.

• Multi-Release → milestones are “tranches,” each tied to its own release.

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🚀 Next Steps

• Choose Escrow Type

• Assign Roles

• Follow Lifecycle Phases

• Test configs in deploy in dApp