Release phase
Execute settlement in Trustless Work V2 after approval conditions are satisfied, with explicit Release Signer authorization, fee calculation, and dispute protection.
The Release Phase is where escrow authorization becomes settlement.
This is the point where funds actually leave the escrow contract and are transferred to their intended recipients.
Release answers:
Can the approved economic outcome now be executed?
The lifecycle distinction remains:
Status = communication
Approval = validation
Release = settlementApproval does not move funds.
Release does.
Who can release funds?
Only an address assigned to the escrow's Release Signers role can execute a release.
V2 supports multiple Release Signers.
For example:
Any authorized Release Signer can execute a valid release.
Other roles do not gain this permission automatically.
Being an:
Approver
Service Provider
Platform
Admin
Receiver
Observer
does not by itself grant release authority.
Release does not bypass contract conditions
A Release Signer has authority to execute an eligible settlement.
They do not have authority to override the escrow rules.
Before transferring funds, the contract verifies conditions such as:
the signer is authorized
the required approval thresholds are satisfied
the relevant settlement has not already been released
there is no unresolved dispute blocking settlement
sufficient funds are available
This distinction is important:
A Release Signer controls execution, not eligibility.
The contract determines whether the settlement is eligible.
Single-Release settlement
A Single-Release Escrow has one economic outcome.
Before release, every milestone must satisfy its configured approval target.
For example:
If all milestones satisfy their thresholds and the escrow is not disputed or already released, an authorized Release Signer can execute settlement.
The contract then releases the entire escrow amount.
Conceptually:
Single Release does not pay milestones independently.
The milestones collectively act as gates for one final settlement.
Multi-Release settlement
A Multi-Release Escrow settles at the milestone level.
Each milestone has its own:
amount
Receiver
approval state
dispute state
release state
An authorized Release Signer selects the milestones to release.
For example:
The Release Signer can release Milestones 1 and 3 without waiting for Milestone 2.
Batch release
V2 Multi Release supports releasing multiple eligible milestones in one operation.
For example:
Each selected milestone is validated independently.
Every milestone in the release batch must:
satisfy its approval threshold
not be disputed
not already be released
not already have a resolved dispute
Duplicate milestone indices are rejected.
If the batch passes validation, settlement is executed for those milestones.
This is useful for:
grant disbursements
project payouts
recurring operational settlement
marketplaces
automated settlement systems
agent-driven workflows
Disputes block normal release
Release cannot be used to bypass an active dispute.
Single Release
If the escrow is disputed, the normal release path is blocked.
The dispute applies to the entire protected settlement.
Multi Release
If a specific milestone is disputed, that milestone cannot be normally released.
Other eligible milestones can continue independently.
For example:
Once a dispute has been resolved, its economic outcome is handled through the dispute-resolution process rather than the normal release path.
Fee distribution
Release calculates the economic distribution automatically.
For each settlement amount:
The current Trustless Work protocol fee is:
The Platform Fee is the optional fee configured during escrow setup.
For example:
assuming a 1% Platform Fee.
The contract performs the fee calculation during settlement.
Where the fees go
On release:
the Trustless Work protocol fee is sent to the Trustless Work fee address
the Platform Fee is sent to the configured Platform address
the remaining amount is sent to the Receiver
For Single Release, there is one Receiver.
For Multi Release, each released milestone pays its own configured Receiver.
Release state
Successful settlement updates the contract state so that the same economic obligation cannot be released twice.
Single Release
The escrow-level release state becomes:
The entire Single-Release escrow is now settled.
Multi Release
Each released milestone is updated independently:
This prevents already-settled milestones from being paid again while allowing the remaining milestones to continue.
Effects before transfers
V2 updates release state before executing token transfers.
This is an important smart-contract security pattern.
Conceptually:
rather than:
Updating state before external token interactions reduces the risk of the same settlement being executed recursively or more than once.
Approver + Release Signer
Sometimes the same participant is intentionally responsible for both validation and settlement.
For example:
V2 supports an approve-and-release operation for this configuration.
The signer must hold both roles.
Multi Release
For Multi Release, approve-and-release can:
approve the selected milestones
validate their release eligibility
release those milestones
in a single transaction.
Conceptually:
Single Release
For Single Release, approve-and-release can approve selected milestones and then attempt the final escrow settlement.
However, all milestones must satisfy their approval targets before the release can succeed.
For example:
An approve-and-release call for Milestone 2 cannot release the escrow because Milestone 3 still has not satisfied its approval requirement.
Once every milestone is approved, the final settlement can execute.
When should approval and release be combined?
Combining both permissions can simplify workflows where the same participant legitimately controls both decisions.
Examples might include:
simple marketplace payments
automated settlement policies
internal operational workflows
agent-controlled execution with predefined authority
But it changes the trust model.
Separating:
from:
creates an additional authorization boundary.
Whether those roles should be separate is an application design decision.
The Receiver can also be a Release Signer
In some workflows, the Receiver may also intentionally be assigned as a Release Signer.
That can produce a claim-like experience:
In other workflows, settlement may be executed by:
a platform
an operations wallet
a finance team
an automated service
another authorized signer
The contract does not infer release authority from who will receive the funds.
The address must explicitly hold the Release Signer role.
What happens on-chain?
When an authorized Release Signer executes a valid release:
The contract verifies the signer.
Approval requirements are checked.
Dispute state is checked.
Previous release state is checked.
The settlement is marked as released.
Trustless Work and Platform fees are calculated.
Fees are transferred to their configured addresses.
The net settlement amount is transferred to the Receiver.
A release event is emitted.
For Multi Release, this process applies to every milestone included in the release operation.
Release events
Successful settlement emits an on-chain release event containing the economic result of the operation.
For Multi Release, the event includes payout information for the milestones released in that transaction.
This provides an auditable record of:
settlement amounts
Receivers
Trustless Work fees
Platform fees
net payouts
Applications can use these events to update their own settlement history and reporting.
Example: Single Release
Consider a 10,000 USDC development agreement.
Release calculates:
The entire escrow is then marked released.
Example: Multi Release
Consider this milestone:
The milestone is eligible for settlement.
After release:
The other milestones remain unchanged and continue through their own lifecycle.
Output of the Release Phase
After a successful release:
the relevant economic obligation has been settled
the release state prevents duplicate settlement
Trustless Work fees have been distributed
Platform fees have been distributed
the Receiver has received the net payout
the settlement is recorded on-chain
the release event can be indexed by applications
For a happy-path transaction, this is the final economic phase of the escrow.
If settlement is contested before release, the lifecycle moves through the dispute path instead.
Continue to Dispute Resolution
Related concepts
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