MilestoneLock

Secure Web3 freelance payments with automated smart contract escrow.

Score: 7.8/10MexicoMedium BuildReady to Spawn
Brand Colors

The Opportunity

Problem

Web3 freelancers experience burnout from the constant hustle required to chase payments from DAOs and NFT projects that ghost them after milestone delivery.

Solution

Freelancers lock client funds into on-chain escrow upon milestone agreement, releasing automatically on approval or dispute resolution. DAOs and NFT projects deposit crypto upfront, eliminating ghosting risks. Burnout ends with guaranteed, transparent payments without endless chasing.

Target Audience

Web3 freelancers contracting with DAOs and NFT projects

Differentiator

On-chain escrow tailored for DAO/NFT gigs with one-click milestone templates, unlike generic Web3 wallets.

Brand Voice

professional

Features

Escrow Creation

must-have12h

Create multi-milestone escrow contracts with wallet connect

Milestone Approval

must-have10h

Clients approve/reject milestones via dashboard or wallet sig

Auto-Release Funds

must-have15h

Smart contract auto-pays on approval or timeout

Dispute Resolution

must-have8h

Simple arbitration form with on-chain evidence upload

Dashboard Overview

must-have10h

Track all escrows, payments, and statuses in real-time

Wallet Integration

must-have12h

Seamless connect with MetaMask, WalletConnect

Email Notifications

nice-to-have6h

Automated alerts for milestones and releases

Template Library

nice-to-have8h

Pre-built escrow templates for common DAO gigs

Analytics Reports

nice-to-have10h

Payment history and earnings charts

Multi-Chain Support

future20h

Extend to Base, Optimism

Total Build Time: 111 hours

Database Schema

users

ColumnTypeNullable
iduuidNo
emailtextNo
wallet_addresstextNo
roletextNo
created_attimestampNo

Relationships:

  • escrows.user_id = users.id

escrows

ColumnTypeNullable
iduuidNo
user_iduuidNo
client_wallettextNo
contract_addresstextNo
total_amounttextNo
statustextNo
created_attimestampNo

Relationships:

  • milestones.escrow_id = escrows.id

milestones

ColumnTypeNullable
iduuidNo
escrow_iduuidNo
titletextNo
amounttextNo
statustextNo
proof_urltextYes

API Endpoints

POST
/api/escrows

Create new escrow

🔒 Auth Required
GET
/api/escrows/:id

Get escrow details

🔒 Auth Required
POST
/api/milestones/:id/approve

Approve milestone

🔒 Auth Required
POST
/api/disputes

File dispute

🔒 Auth Required
GET
/api/user/escrows

List user escrows

🔒 Auth Required

Tech Stack

Frontend
Next.js 14 + Tailwind + shadcn/ui + wagmi/viem
Backend
Next.js API routes + Supabase Edge Functions
Database
Supabase Postgres
Auth
Supabase Auth
Payments
Stripe
Hosting
Vercel
Additional Tools
Alchemy for RPCResend for emails

Build Timeline

Week 1: Setup and auth

20h
  • Project setup
  • User auth and wallet connect
  • Basic dashboard

Week 2: Core escrow features

25h
  • Escrow creation
  • Smart contract deploy (use OpenZeppelin)
  • Milestone submission

Week 3: Approval and release

25h
  • Approval workflow
  • Auto-release logic
  • DB schema

Week 4: Disputes and notifications

20h
  • Dispute system
  • Emails
  • User flows

Week 5: Polish and payments

20h
  • Stripe integration
  • Landing page
  • Testing

Week 6: Launch prep

15h
  • SEO, analytics
  • Beta testing
  • Deploy
Total Timeline: 6 weeks • 135 hours

Pricing Tiers

Free

$0/mo

No disputes, 1 milestone max

  • 1 active escrow
  • Basic dashboard
  • Email notifications

Pro

$37/mo

Up to 10 escrows/month

  • Unlimited escrows
  • Dispute resolution
  • Templates
  • Priority support

Enterprise

$97/mo

Unlimited

  • All Pro
  • Custom templates
  • API access
  • Dedicated support

Revenue Projections

MonthUsersConversionMRRARR
Month 11002%$74$888
Month 68005%$1,480$17,760

Unit Economics

$35
CAC
$444
LTV
5%
Churn
92%
Margin
LTV:CAC Ratio: 12.7xExcellent!

Landing Page Copy

Stop Chasing DAO Payments – Lock Them In Now

MilestoneLock secures your Web3 freelance gigs with on-chain escrow. Get paid automatically, no more ghosting.

Feature Highlights

One-click escrow setup
Auto-release on approval
Built-in dispute tools
Wallet-native experience
DAO-optimized templates

Social Proof (Placeholders)

"'Saved me weeks of chasing!' – @web3dev"
"'Finally reliable payments from NFT projects.' – @daoartist"

First Three Customers

Post in Web3 freelance Discords like Dework community and Fiverr Web3 groups offering free Pro access for beta feedback. DM 20 targeted Twitter freelancers from recent DAO bounty threads. Run $50 Twitter ad to 'web3 freelancer' audience with landing page sign-up.

Launch Channels

Product Huntr/web3Twitter #Web3FreelanceDAO Discord servers

SEO Keywords

web3 escrow servicedao milestone paymentsnft project invoicingsecure web3 freelance payments

Competitive Analysis

Free with fees
Strength

Task management

Weakness

No escrow enforcement

Our Advantage

Guaranteed on-chain payments

Protocol fees
Strength

Streaming payments

Weakness

Not milestone-based

Our Advantage

Escrow for discrete gigs

🏰 Moat Strategy

Network effects from growing escrow templates and user-verified contracts data

⏰ Why Now?

DAOs paying $1B+ in bounties yearly but 30% freelance disputes; L2s make cheap on-chain escrow viable

Risks & Mitigation

technicalhigh severity

Smart contract bugs

Mitigation

Audit with OpenZeppelin Defender, testnet first

marketmedium severity

Low adoption by DAOs

Mitigation

Free client invites, templates

legallow severity

Crypto regs

Mitigation

Non-custodial, fiat off-ramp optional

Validation Roadmap

pre-build7 days

Interview 10 Web3 freelancers on Twitter/Discord

Success: 80% confirm pain and WOY

mvp42 days

Build core escrow, get 5 beta users

Success: 3 paid conversions

launch7 days

PH launch, track signups

Success: 100 users week 1

Pivot Options

  • General crypto escrow for ecom
  • Bounty platform add-on
  • Non-Web3 freelance invoicing

Quick Stats

Build Time
135h
Target MRR (6 mo)
$2,000
Market Size
$500.0M
Features
10
Database Tables
3
API Endpoints
5