Before you get started with Trustless Work’s you need the following:

To sign transactions, you will need 1 (or more) Stellar wallets. Learn more here

To fund testnet escrows you will also need testnet XLM and testnet USDC. Learn more here.

Step 1: Sign Up

• Log in with your Stellar wallet on TW dApp: https://d-app-trustless-work.vercel.app/

• Create your account at Trustless Work to access your API key.

• Choose between testnet for experimentation or mainnet for production use.

Step 2: Set Up Your Environment (for devs)

• Familiarize yourself with API Documentation.

• Use the SDKs or sample code provided in your preferred language.

Step 3: Create Your First Escrow

• You will need the escrow details (parties addresses, roles, info) before creating your first escrow. Learn more here

• Initiate a smart escrow contract with minimal setup.

Step 4: Test and Iterate

• Use our testnet environment to experiment safely.

• Debug using the detailed responses and error codes in our API Reference.

Getting Started with Trustless Work

Welcome to the future of secure, trustless transactions! This guide will help you start using Trustless Work, whether you’re a developer integrating our API or a business seeking to scale with blockchain-powered escrows.

1. Understand the Basics

Before diving into the technical details, take a moment to understand how Trustless Work can revolutionize your payment workflows:

• What is Trustless Work? A blockchain-based Escrow-as-a-Service platform that secures payments and ensures transparency for all parties involved.

• Why Use Trustless Work? Save time, reduce costs, and eliminate reliance on intermediaries.

Learn more about how it works.

2. Design your escrow lifecycle

Before you Deploy your first escrow, you need to know which parties (addresses) will play which roles. You can learn more about escrow design here.

Explore Use Cases for inspiration.

3. Deploy and test in our dApp

We made a dApp to assist you on deploying escrows. You can find it here.

To sign transactions, you will need 1 (or more) Stellar wallets. Learn more here

To fund testnet escrows you will also need testnet XLM and testnet USDC. Learn more here.

3. Start building!

Integrating Trustless Work into your platform is simple:

• Work with your development team to integrate Trustless Work’s API.

• Use our open-source templates for faster implementation.

• Speak with our team to if you have feedback or feature requests: Get in Touch.

4. Contribute!

• We are open source and are constantly participating in OS campaigns through Only Dust

• Learn more about our Ecosystem. Some of them are open source too!

Next Steps

• Developers: Do the Quickstart or Explore the API Reference to build your integration.

• Businesses: Visit Use Cases to see how others are using Trustless Work.

• Join Our Community: Participate in hackathons and contribute to open-source projects.

Understanding the core principles of Trustless Work is key to unlocking its full potential. This section explains what makes Trustless Work unique, how it works, and why it’s essential for modern digital economies.

What is Escrow?

Escrow is a neutral way to hold funds while specific conditions are met. Think of it as a secure envelope:

1. Funds are deposited: Money is placed in a trusted location.

2. Conditions are met: The agreed-upon tasks or milestones are achieved.

3. Funds are released: The money is sent to the intended recipient.

In traditional setups, escrow is managed by centralized entities like banks or lawyers. Trustless Work replaces these intermediaries with blockchain-powered smart contracts.

Why Use Blockchain for Escrows?

Traditional escrows come with inefficiencies, such as high fees, slow processing times, and limited transparency. Blockchain technology eliminates these challenges by offering:

• Decentralization: No single point of control or failure.

• Transparency: Every transaction is verifiable on the blockchain.

• Immutability: Smart contracts ensure funds are handled exactly as programmed.

Trustless Work builds on Stellar’s Soroban smart contract platform, combining the low costs and high speed of Stellar with the power of decentralized automation.

How Trustless Work Escrows Operate

1. Setup

• A smart escrow is configured using Trustless Work’s API.

• Key parameters include:

  • Amount: The value being held.

  • Roles: Learn more about roles here

  • Milestones: Rules for releasing funds.

2. Funding

• The payer deposits funds into the escrow.

• Funds are securely held on the blockchain, ensuring they cannot be tampered with.

3. Milestone Updates

• The service provider updates the escrow status.

4. Approval or Dispute

• The client approves the release of funds.

• In case of disputes, the escrow holds the funds until the issue is resolved by Dispute Resolver.

5. Release

• Once conditions are met, funds are released to the recipient.

• A small fee (0.3%) is deducted as a commission for Trustless Work.

• Extra Fee can be configured for the platform.

Key Features of Trustless Work Escrows

• Customizable: Configure escrows for a variety of use cases, from marketplaces to crowdfunding.

• Cost-Efficient: Leverage Stellar’s low transaction fees.

• API-First: Seamless integration into your platform using simple API calls.

• Open-Source Templates: Accelerate implementation with ready-to-use configurations.

Traditional vs. Trustless Escrows

Benefits of Trustless Work

• For Developers: Simplify payment workflows with an API-driven approach.

• For Businesses: Build trust and reduce fraud in transactions.

• For Innovators: Unlock new business models using blockchain escrows.

Next Steps

• Dive deeper in our Technolgy Overview.

• Explore API Reference to see how to implement these concepts in your platform.

• Learn about Use Cases.

This section provides a list of the key tools you’ll need to effectively interact with Trustless Work, from setting up wallets to testing transactions. Whether you’re building on the testnet or deploying to production, these resources will get you started.

1. Wallets

To interact with Trustless Work and the Stellar blockchain, you’ll need a wallet for sending, receiving, and managing assets like USDC.

• Albedo Wallet A browser extension for secure key management and transactions. Get Albedo

• Freighter Wallet A Stellar wallet browser extension built for developers. Get Freighter

• Lobstr Wallet A user-friendly wallet for managing Stellar assets. Ideal for non-technical users. Get Lobstr

2. Testnet Faucets: Funding Development Accounts

Testing on the Trustless Work platform requires test XLM and USDC for transaction fees and escrow functionality.

• Stellar Testnet Faucet Get test XLM to cover transaction fees on the Stellar testnet.

• Circle USDC Testnet Faucet Receive testnet USDC to simulate real-world escrow scenarios.