Non-custodial by design
USDC sits in an immutable smart contract. There is no admin function that can move, freeze or redirect escrowed funds, not even ours. (USDC's issuer, Circle, can freeze addresses; see Risks.)
Coming soonBase & Ethereum
Get paid, milestone by milestone.
Escrow for freelancers and creators. Your client — or the brand sponsoring you — locks USDC in a smart contract. You deliver the work or the post goes live. It's released one milestone at a time. No invoices to chase, no platform holding your money, just a flat 5%.
- Non-custodial
- 5% flat fee
- No token needed
- Source-available at launch
Built withUSDC by CircleBaseEthereumOpenZeppelinFoundry-tested
- flat fee on payouts
- 5%flat fee on payouts
- admin keys over your funds
- 0admin keys over your funds
- withdraw to any wallet
- 24/7withdraw to any wallet
- fallback if nobody decides
- 50/50fallback if nobody decides
How it works
Lock. Deliver. Release.
Three steps, enforced by code. Each milestone is its own little escrow, so trust is earned one step at a time.
Client → escrow
Client
funds & approves
Escrow
smart contract
Freelancer
delivers & withdraws
FundedlockedDeliveredin reviewReleased95% to freelancer
Why Fairstep
Trust the code, not a middleman.
Built so neither side has to trust the other — or us.
Why the name Fairstep? Every step is fair: the work is split into milestones, and you get paid step by step as each one is approved.
5% flat. That's it.
Charged only on what the freelancer or creator receives, locked in per deal. Capped at 5% in code. Refunds: currently free (the refund fee is capped at 1% in code, and any change is announced in advance). Cheaper than typical Upwork and Fiverr fees.*
No token needed
No points, no lockups. You pay and get paid in USDC — digital dollars by Circle. The planned $FSTP token is optional.
Source-available at launch
Readable Solidity with unit, fuzz, invariant and re-entrancy tests, built on OpenZeppelin. The source will be public to read and verified on the block explorer at launch, so you can check it before you trust it. Not yet audited.
Base & Ethereum
Fast, cents-cheap payments on Base, or maximum settlement assurance on Ethereum. Same code on both.
Pull payments
Payouts are credited to your balance and withdrawn to any address — so nobody can block anyone else's money.
When things go sideways
Disputes that always end.
Every disputed milestone has a built-in way to be settled, so money doesn't get stuck forever. Fairstep doesn't decide disputes or guarantee outcomes.
- 01
Referee decides
A neutral person you both approved splits the milestone — say 70% freelancer, 30% client — before the dispute timeout.
- 02
Or settle yourselves
Both sides propose a split. The moment the numbers match, it executes. Works any time, with or without a referee.
- 03
Or 50/50, automatically
If nobody decides before the timeout, anyone can trigger a 50/50 split. It ends the dispute, but it may not match who was right.
Fees
Keep what you earn.
Marketplaces take a real cut. Fairstep takes 5% of payouts; refunds are currently free. Cheaper than typical Upwork and Fiverr fees.*
$6,000
You keep $600 more than on a typical marketplace.
- Fairstep$300 (5.0%)
5% of what the freelancer or creator receives · + network gas (cents on Base)
- Upwork$900 (15.0%)
Typical: 10% freelancer fee (varies 0–15%) + 5% client fee (Basic plan; 3–10% by plan)
- Fiverr$1,530 (25.5%)
20% seller fee + 5.5% buyer service fee
Estimates from public list prices checked Sep 2026 (Upwork client fees, Upwork freelancer fee, Fiverr). Actual fees vary by plan, payment method and contract, and some Upwork contracts cost less than 5%. Upwork and Fiverr include services Fairstep doesn't (talent marketplace, invoicing, mediation, support).
Who holds the money
Fairstep: A smart contract — no one can redirect it
Upwork / Fiverr: The platform
Fee on a $6,000 project*
Fairstep: $300 (5%) + network gas
Upwork / Fiverr: ≈ $900 on Upwork (typical 10% + 5%; can be 3–25%) · ≈ $1,530 on Fiverr (20% + 5.5%)
Release money milestone by milestone
Fairstep: Built in
Upwork / Fiverr: Yes
When the client goes quiet
Fairstep: Auto-claim after review window
Upwork / Fiverr: Platform policy
Disputes
Fairstep: Referee you both pick · mutual split · 50/50 fallback
Upwork / Fiverr: Platform mediation
Payout speed after approval
Fairstep: Credited on-chain right away, withdraw 24/7
Upwork / Fiverr: Typically days (security or clearance period)
Who can use it
Fairstep: Anyone with a wallet
Upwork / Fiverr: Approved accounts & regions
| Fairstep | Upwork / Fiverr | |
|---|---|---|
| Who holds the money | A smart contract — no one can redirect it | The platform |
| Fee on a $6,000 project* | $300 (5%) + network gas | ≈ $900 on Upwork (typical 10% + 5%; can be 3–25%) · ≈ $1,530 on Fiverr (20% + 5.5%) |
| Release money milestone by milestone | Built in | Yes |
| When the client goes quiet | Auto-claim after review window | Platform policy |
| Disputes | Referee you both pick · mutual split · 50/50 fallback | Platform mediation |
| Payout speed after approval | Credited on-chain right away, withdraw 24/7 | Typically days (security or clearance period) |
| Who can use it | Anyone with a wallet | Approved accounts & regions |
* Fee comparison: estimates from Upwork and Fiverr public list prices, checked Sep 2026 (links in the calculator). Upwork: the freelancer fee varies from 0% to 15% per contract (10% was the long-time standard and is used here), plus a client marketplace fee of 5% on the Basic plan (3% for eligible US bank payments; 8–10% on Business Plus) and a contract initiation fee of up to $14.99. Fiverr: 20% seller fee plus a 5.5% buyer fee (+$3.50 on orders under $200). Some Upwork contracts cost less than Fairstep's 5% (for example a 0% freelancer fee with a 3% client fee). Fairstep's 5% excludes network gas. Marketplaces also include services Fairstep doesn't (finding clients, invoicing, mediation, support).
For freelancers
Put “Pay me via Fairstep” in your bio.
Get a personal link and badge. Clients who click it land on a deal with you pre-filled — they add the milestones, fund, and you start work knowing the money is there.
Get my link & badgeAda · Product designer
Brand systems, web & mobile. Booking Q4.
fairstep.app/pay/0x3C44…93BC
For creators & brands
Sponsorships that pay when the post goes live.
The brand locks the budget up front. The creator gets paid per deliverable — no more chasing invoices 60 days after the campaign.
- 1Brand locks the budgetPick the Creator sponsorship template, split it into deliverables — Post 1 live, Post 2 live, stays up 30 days — and fund them in USDC. The creator sees the money is there before posting.
- 2Creator posts & marks it livePublish the sponsored content with a clear #ad disclosure, then mark that milestone delivered in Fairstep.
- 3Payment releases per postThe brand checks the post and approves — or, if they go quiet, the creator can claim it once the review window (3 days by default) ends. Disagree? Use a referee, a mutual split or the 50/50 fallback.
- Paid post? Put #ad at the start of the post, in plain words people can't miss. It's required by law (FTC).
Example · Creator sponsorship
Spring launch campaign
Brand: Northwind Coffee · Creator: @ada.makes
- Post 1 live500 USDCPaid
- Post 2 live500 USDCIn review · 3 days
- Post 3 live500 USDCFunded
- All posts stay up 30 days300 USDCFunded
Illustration only. Fairstep is pre-launch — the preview is view-only until the testnet beta opens.
Coming soon · not live · no token exists yet
Every deal will burn $FSTP.
Planned token: Fairstep (ticker $FSTP)
The only official contract address will be posted here and on @usefairstep at launch.
Fixed supply. Planned burns from real usage.
You never need $FSTP to use Fairstep — deals always settle in USDC.
$FSTP burned
Burn counter: coming soon
Live burn tracker — coming soon. Nothing has been burned: the token doesn't exist yet.
- Fixed supply
- 1BFixed supplyMinted once. Never more.
- Mint functions
- 0Mint functionsNo code path creates new $FSTP
- Transfer tax
- 0%Transfer taxNo hidden cut on transfers
- Of protocol fees
- 50%Of protocol feesPlanned to go to burns
How the burn works
Planned mechanism, to be switched on only if and when the token launches. As designed, no one could withdraw from the burn contract. It's a supply mechanism, not a dividend, yield or share of revenue.
- STEP 1
Deals pay fees in USDC
Every completed milestone on Fairstep pays the protocol fee in USDC.
- STEP 2
50% buys $FSTP
Planned: half of those fees would go to an immutable contract that buys $FSTP on the open market.
- STEP 3
Burned forever
Every coin it buys would be burned, permanently, and every burn would be public on-chain.
40%
community + airdrop
Community first
40% planned for the people who use it.
Planned allocation of the 1,000,000,000 $FSTP. Every insider wallet will be published before launch.
- Community rewards30%Completed deals, referees, integrations — streamed over years
- Treasury22%Operations, grants, reserve — spent by a published policy
- Team & founder20%1% (10M) unlocked for the founder at launch, not sold for 30 days; 19% locked 1 year, then unlocks over 3 years total
- Early-user airdrop10%Planned for people who actually used Fairstep; rules not final
- Contributors10%Advisors & contributors, vested
- Liquidity8%Planned to seed an on-chain liquidity pool at launch
Founder tokens are locked
Of the team's 20%, 1% (10,000,000 $FSTP) unlocks for the founder at launch, with a public commitment not to sell any of it for the first 30 days. The other 19% is locked for 1 year, then unlocks gradually over 3 years in total. Founder wallets will be public, and any selling follows a pre-announced schedule.
Fee discounts
Planned: optionally pay the protocol fee in $FSTP at a discount. USDC always works.
Referee staking
Planned: referees stake $FSTP to join a public directory with clear on-chain rules.
Deal rewards
Planned: both sides get $FSTP rewards for deals completed without a dispute, capped to resist gaming.
Governance
Planned: vote on real settings, like the fee within its hard cap, reward programs and grants.
Get $FSTP & airdrop news: join the waitlist →
The button takes you to the waitlist. We'll email you $FSTP and airdrop news. No purchase necessary. Eligibility is planned to be based on real use of Fairstep (for example, completed mainnet deals), not follows or reposts. Joining the waitlist or using the testnet doesn't guarantee eligibility. Rules aren't final, are set at our discretion, and may change or be cancelled.
No token exists. Nothing here is an offer to sell, or a solicitation to buy, any token. We make no promise about whether a token launches or about its value or price. All plans may change. Any airdrop is void where prohibited and won't be available in sanctioned or restricted regions. See Terms §12 and Risks.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Is Fairstep custodial? Can you take my money?
No. Funds sit in a smart contract, not with us. The contract has no function that lets the Fairstep team (or anyone) move, freeze or redirect escrowed funds — money only moves by the deal's rules: client approval, review-window timeout, freelancer refund, referee decision, mutual settlement or the 50/50 fallback.
What does it cost?
A flat 5% of what the freelancer or creator receives, locked in when the deal is created. That's cheaper than typical Upwork and Fiverr fees (see the fee comparison and its assumptions above). Refunds to the client are currently free: the refund fee is capped at 1% in the contract, and any change is announced in advance and only applies to new deals. You also pay normal network gas, which is typically a few cents on Base. You never need a token and there is no subscription.
What if the client goes silent after I deliver?
Every deal has a review window (for example 7 days). If the client neither approves nor disputes before it ends, the freelancer can claim the milestone. Silence counts as approval.
What if the work isn't delivered or we disagree?
The freelancer can open a dispute only after marking a milestone delivered. The client can dispute a delivered milestone during the review window. If a milestone has a delivery deadline and the work isn't marked delivered in time, the client can take the milestone back (the client can also extend the deadline). Once a milestone is disputed, the referee you both agreed on can split it (e.g. 70/30), you can settle between yourselves at any time, or, if nobody decides before the dispute timeout, anyone can trigger a 50/50 split. Fairstep doesn't decide disputes or guarantee any outcome. The freelancer can also refund a milestone voluntarily.
Does Fairstep work for creator sponsorships?
Yes — same escrow, different wording. Pick “Creator sponsorship” when you create a deal: the brand funds USDC per deliverable (e.g. Post 1 live, Post 2 live, stays up 30 days), the creator marks each one live, and the brand approves or the creator claims it after the review window (3 days by default). Creators can share a pay-me link set up for brands.
How does a “stays up 30 days” milestone work?
It's a normal milestone the brand funds up front. Once the post has been live for 30 days, the creator marks it delivered; the brand checks the post is still up and approves — or it can be claimed when the review window ends. If the post came down early, the brand can dispute it.
Do creators still need to disclose sponsored posts?
Yes. Fairstep only handles the payment. Paid post? Put #ad at the start of the post, in plain words people can't miss. It's required by law (FTC). Brands shouldn't approve a post that isn't disclosed.
Which networks and tokens are supported?
USDC on Base and Ethereum. Fairstep isn't deployed yet: a public testnet beta on Base Sepolia and Ethereum Sepolia comes first (test USDC has no real value and can't be exchanged for anything), and mainnet launches only after an independent audit.
Is the contract audited and source-available?
Source-available at launch: the contract source, tests (unit, fuzz, invariant) and docs will be public to read and audit, and the code verified on Basescan and Etherscan, when Fairstep launches. The code is licensed under the Business Source License, not an open-source licence. It has not been audited yet — please don't use real funds until it is. During launch, deal sizes and total deposits are capped, and new deals can be paused (existing deals and withdrawals always keep working).
Can deal terms be changed later?
No. Parties, referee, amounts, review window, dispute timeout and fee are fixed when the deal is created and ratified when the freelancer accepts. Need something different? Create a new deal.
How do I get my money out?
Payouts are credited to your balance in the contract. Press Withdraw to send them to your wallet — or any address you choose — whenever you like.
Why is it called Fairstep?
Because every step is fair: a fair split, paid step by step. Fairstep is milestone escrow in USDC. You split the work into milestones, the money for each one is locked up front, and it's released when that milestone is approved. (During development the project was called “Milestone”. Same product, same team, new name.)
Be first on mainnet.
Fairstep isn't live yet — you can explore the app preview today. Join the waitlist and we'll tell you when the testnet beta opens (test tokens only, no real value) and when Fairstep launches on Base and Ethereum mainnet, which happens only after an external audit.