Locked first
The client puts the whole budget in, split into up to 12 milestones, in HYPE or any token.
Pay for work, milestone by milestone.
Hire a designer, a dev or a moderator on Elysium without trusting either side. The budget is locked up front, each milestone is paid when you approve it, and if you go quiet the worker gets paid anyway.
0deals
0HYPE locked in work
0HYPE paid to workers
A landing page, in three parts
6 HYPE locked by the client, 3 days of review per milestone. Here's where the money is at each step.
1
Wireframes · 1 HYPE
PaidDelivered on Monday, approved the same day. 0.99 HYPE to the designer.
2
Design · 2 HYPE
In reviewDelivered Wednesday. The client hasn't answered; on Saturday the designer can claim it.
3
Build · 3 HYPE
OpenNot delivered yet. The client can still take this part back.
Better than half now, half later
| How you pay | Worker risk | Client risk |
|---|---|---|
| All up front | none | the whole budget |
| Half now, half on delivery | the second half | the first half |
| Retainer | none: the money is locked and silence pays | one milestone at a time, and disputes freeze it |
The rules, all of them
Approve to pay
The worker marks a milestone delivered. The client approves it and it's paid at once, less 1%.
Silence pays
If the client doesn't approve or dispute within the review period, the worker can take the milestone.
Disputes freeze
A disputed milestone stays locked until the client approves it or the worker gives it back. Neither can grab it.
Undelivered can go back
The client can take back any milestone the worker hasn't delivered. The worker can give back any unpaid one.
No middleman
No arbiter, no admin, no upgrade. The contract only follows these rules.
Questions
What if we can't agree on a disputed milestone?
It stays locked. Talk it out: the client can approve it, the worker can give it back. Nobody else can decide it, so nobody can be bribed to.
How long is the review period?
Set by the client from 1 to 30 days when the deal is created. Both sides see it before work starts.
Can the client pay early?
Yes. The client can approve a milestone at any time, delivered or not.
Is it audited?
No. The contract is small and tested. Start with a small deal.