If the client goes quiet
Each deal has a review window, for example 3 days. If the client doesn't approve or dispute a delivered milestone in time, the freelancer can claim it without approval.
Live on Base500 USDC max per deal
Get paid, milestone by milestone.
Fairstep is milestone escrow in USDC. The client locks the money for each milestone in a smart contract, the freelancer does the work, and the money is released when the client approves. Real USDC on Base.
Max 500 USDC per deal for now. Fairstep is non-custodial software: funds stay in the escrow contract and move by each deal's rules.
How it works
Fund. Deliver. Approve. Paid.
The work is split into milestones. Each milestone is paid on its own, so nobody has to trust the other side with the whole amount.
- 1
Fund
The client puts the USDC for a milestone into the escrow contract. It's locked there: neither side can take it alone.
- 2
Deliver
The freelancer does the work and marks the milestone as delivered.
- 3
Approve
The client checks the work and approves it.
- 4
Get paid
The milestone's USDC is released to the freelancer, minus a 5% fee. Then on to the next milestone.
Timeouts
Timeouts protect both sides.
Nobody can hold the money hostage by going silent. Every deal has clear time limits, set when it's created and enforced by the contract.
If the work never arrives
A milestone can have a delivery deadline. If it passes without a delivery, the client can take that milestone's money back.
If you disagree
Either side can open a dispute. A referee you both picked can split the money, or you can agree on a split yourselves. If nobody decides before the dispute timeout, it splits 50/50 automatically, so money never stays stuck. A 50/50 split may not match who was right.
Before work starts
Until the freelancer accepts the deal, the client can cancel it and get back everything they put in.
Fairstep doesn't hold your funds, decide disputes or promise any outcome. The contract follows the rules of each deal.
Get started
What you need.
1. A wallet on Base
Any wallet that supports Base, for example Coinbase Wallet, MetaMask or Phantom.
2. USDC and a little ETH on Base
The client needs the USDC for the deal (up to 500 USDC per deal during the beta). Both sides need a little ETH on Base for network fees, usually a few cents per step.
3. Create a deal
Open the app, connect your wallet, set up milestones and send the link to the other side.
Bug rewards
Find a bug, get $25–$150 in USDC.
Something broken? Tell us by DM to @usefairstep on X.
- Reward
- $25–$150 in USDC, depending on severity (how much harm the bug could do). We decide the severity.
- How to report
- Send a DM to @usefairstep on X with what happened, the steps to reproduce it, the network, the deal ID or transaction hash if there is one, and the wallet address for your reward.
- First valid report wins
- If several people report the same bug, only the first valid report gets the reward.
- Keep it private until it's fixed
- Don't post or share the bug until we confirm it's fixed. Going public first means no reward.
- Scope
- This site and the Fairstep escrow contract on Base. Never put other people's funds at risk, don't touch other people's deals, and don't spam or overload the site. Test with small amounts.
We will never DM you first, and we'll never ask for your seed phrase or private key. Rewards are paid at our discretion and these rules may change. The contract address is on the Risk page.