100 crypto escrow topics

21 guides are published and linked below. The other titles are the backlog: each one names the search it is meant to answer. Planned titles are not separate pages yet, so this list does not pretend they are.

Escrow fundamentals

Crypto escrow is the practice of locking tokens until the people in a deal are ready for those tokens to move. On Ethereum the lock is a smart contract, not a bank account. These notes define the vocabulary: parties, deposits, approval, release, and refund. They also compare an escrow with a shared wallet or an atomic swap, and they draw a line around what software can enforce. Start here if you need language you can reuse in the agreement with the other side.

  1. Published

    What Is a Crypto Escrow?

    Search topic: crypto escrow

  2. Published

    Custodial vs Non-Custodial Crypto Escrow

    Search topic: non-custodial crypto escrow

  3. Published

    Smart Contract Escrow, Explained

    Search topic: smart contract escrow

  4. Published

    What a Smart Contract Escrow Cannot Do

    Search topic: smart contract escrow

  5. Planned

    Escrow vs a Multisig Wallet

    A shared wallet needs signatures to move funds. An escrow also has deadlines, a fixed payout, and a refund if the deal never finishes.

    Search topic: multisig vs escrow

  6. Planned

    On-Chain Escrow vs Off-Chain Escrow

    On-chain escrow puts the lock where anyone can verify it. Off-chain escrow puts a person or a company between the parties.

    Search topic: on-chain escrow

  7. Planned

    Why High-Value Crypto Deals Use Escrow

    Direct transfers are fine between people who already trust each other. Escrow is for the gap before that trust exists.

    Search topic: crypto deal escrow

  8. Planned

    Atomic Swaps vs Escrow

    An atomic swap exchanges two assets in one stroke. An escrow can wait days for an inspection, a signing, or a delivery.

    Search topic: atomic swap vs escrow

  9. Planned

    Pull Payments in Escrow Contracts

    Crediting a balance, then letting each person withdraw, keeps one failed transfer from trapping everyone else.

    Search topic: pull payment escrow

  10. Planned

    What Code Is Law Means for a Deal

    The phrase only covers rules that were written into the contract. A PDF the contract cannot read is not law on-chain.

    Search topic: code is law escrow

  11. Planned

    How to Read an Escrow State Machine

    Created, Funded, Approved, Disputed, Released, and Terminated are the only places a DeFiEscrow deal can stand.

    Search topic: escrow state machine

  12. Planned

    Common Crypto Escrow Scams

    Most escrow theft is a fake website or a hurried signature, not a clever reading of a published contract.

    Search topic: crypto escrow scam

  13. Planned

    Escrow Account vs Smart Contract

    An escrow account is a bank relationship. A smart contract is a program with an address. They fail in different ways.

    Search topic: escrow account crypto

  14. Planned

    Two-Party Escrow Basics

    One depositor and one recipient is the smallest useful deal, and it is still a full state machine.

    Search topic: two party crypto escrow

  15. Planned

    Who Can Release Escrowed Crypto

    After unanimous approval, release is a separate transaction. Approval alone does not send the tokens.

    Search topic: who releases escrow crypto

  16. Planned

    Changing Deal Terms After Creation

    Party addresses, amounts, and deadlines are fixed at creation. The fix for a mistake is a refund and a new escrow.

    Search topic: immutable escrow

Using DeFiEscrow

These guides walk through DeFiEscrow itself: the Ethereum contract and the web app. You create an escrow with wallet addresses, one asset, deposit amounts, payout amounts, and two deadlines. Parties then deposit, approve, and later withdraw. The protocol fee is 1%, with a 0.05 ETH minimum on native ETH escrows. Nothing here assumes you already write Solidity. It does assume you will check the network in your wallet before you sign.

  1. Published

    How DeFiEscrow Works

    Search topic: how DeFiEscrow works

  2. Published

    The DeFiEscrow Protocol Fee

    Search topic: DeFiEscrow protocol fee

  3. Published

    Unanimous Approval in a Multi-Party Escrow

    Search topic: multi-party escrow

  4. Published

    Escrow Funding Deadlines and Approval Deadlines

    Search topic: funding deadline

  5. Planned

    Two-Party Setup in the DeFiEscrow App

    The simple path asks for an asset, an amount, a depositor, a withdrawer, and who pays the fee.

    Search topic: create crypto escrow

  6. Planned

    Advanced Multi-Party Setup

    The advanced path is for custom roles, uneven amounts, and more than one person paying or receiving.

    Search topic: multi party crypto escrow

  7. Planned

    Depositor, Withdrawer, and Acknowledger Roles

    Some wallets send funds, some receive funds, and some only have to approve before anyone is paid.

    Search topic: escrow party roles

  8. Planned

    Sharing an Escrow ID Safely

    The deal id is how the other parties open the same escrow. Treat it like a reference number, and still verify the addresses inside.

    Search topic: escrow id

  9. Planned

    How Withdrawals Work After Release

    Release credits the payout. Withdraw sends it. They are two transactions, and the recipient chooses where the second one goes.

    Search topic: withdraw escrow funds

  10. Planned

    What the Fee Recipient Does

    The protocol fee is a payout to a fee address that the contract requires. That address does not have to approve the deal.

    Search topic: escrow protocol fee recipient

  11. Planned

    Rehearsing an Escrow on a Test Network

    A test network uses tokens with no market value. It is the right place to click through create, fund, approve, and refund once.

    Search topic: sepolia escrow

  12. Planned

    How to Approve USDC or USDT Spending

    Stablecoin deposits need a token approval before the contract can pull the funds. Approve the amount you mean to deposit.

    Search topic: approve USDC escrow

  13. Planned

    Reading Escrow Events on a Block Explorer

    Created, deposited, approved, released, and refunded events are public even when the detailed view is limited to parties.

    Search topic: etherscan escrow

  14. Planned

    Why Pull Payments Avoid Stuck Funds

    If the contract pushed tokens to every party in one loop, one failure could block the rest. Crediting balances avoids that.

    Search topic: pull payments

  15. Planned

    Cancelling an Unfunded Escrow

    If the funding deadline passes before every deposit arrives, the escrow can be terminated and anyone who did pay can withdraw it back.

    Search topic: cancel crypto escrow

  16. Planned

    Sending a Deposit from the Wrong Wallet

    Only the address named as a party can deposit. A transfer from any other wallet is not a deposit into that escrow.

    Search topic: wrong wallet escrow

Real estate closings

A property closing has a price, a deposit, and several people who may get paid. These guides show where a crypto escrow fits: holding earnest money or the purchase price in ETH, USDC, or USDT until the participants approve. They also say what the contract does not do. It does not search title, record a deed, or replace the lawyer, notary, or title company your jurisdiction requires. Use them with local counsel.

  1. Published

    Crypto Escrow for Real Estate Closings

    Search topic: crypto escrow for real estate

  2. Published

    Buying Property with USDC

    Search topic: buying property with USDC

  3. Published

    Earnest Money Deposits in Crypto

    Search topic: earnest money

  4. Planned

    A Crypto Real Estate Closing Checklist

    A practical order of operations: agreement, title work, escrow terms, funding, signing, approval, and only then release.

    Search topic: crypto closing checklist

  5. Planned

    Holding a Property Deposit in USDC

    How to size a USDC deposit, who the parties are, and what the seller should see on-chain before they take the property off the market.

    Search topic: property deposit USDC

  6. Planned

    When the Buyer and the Seller Both Deposit

    Some closings need both sides to post funds. The contract refunds each depositor their own deposit if the deal dies.

    Search topic: buyer seller escrow

  7. Planned

    Paying a Broker Commission from Escrow

    A commission is just another payout. Put the broker's wallet and amount in the escrow at creation, not in a side promise.

    Search topic: real estate commission crypto

  8. Planned

    International Property Purchases in Stablecoins

    A buyer abroad can fund USDC without a correspondent wire. Title, tax, and permission to buy still follow local law.

    Search topic: international property USDC

  9. Planned

    Commercial Real Estate Deposits in Crypto

    Commercial deposits are larger and often have more parties. The escrow math is the same, and the off-chain contract is thicker.

    Search topic: commercial real estate crypto

  10. Planned

    Inspection Periods and Approval Deadlines

    Set the approval deadline at the end of the contingency window so a failed inspection can end in a refund instead of a trapped deposit.

    Search topic: inspection period escrow

  11. Planned

    Crypto Escrow and the Deed

    The contract can hold the price. The deed is signed, notarized, and recorded under local law. Do not swap those jobs.

    Search topic: crypto real estate deed

  12. Planned

    Using an Attorney as an Acknowledger

    A lawyer can be a party who must approve and who neither pays nor receives, which is what the acknowledger role is for.

    Search topic: real estate attorney escrow

  13. Planned

    Cash Purchases and Where Escrow Fits

    A cash purchase still has a deposit, a closing statement, and a moment when the price should be locked. Escrow covers the tokens, not the title.

    Search topic: cash home purchase crypto

  14. Planned

    Refunding a Property Deposit On-Chain

    A refund returns what each person deposited. It does not pay the seller a forfeiture unless that forfeiture was written as the payout from the start.

    Search topic: refund earnest money crypto

  15. Planned

    Several Sellers on One Property Deal

    Each seller who must consent should be a party. Each seller who is paid needs their own payout amount.

    Search topic: multiple sellers escrow

  16. Planned

    Stablecoin Closings for Overseas Buyers

    Time zones and banking hours matter less. Sanctions screening, source-of-funds rules, and the local closing still matter.

    Search topic: overseas buyer USDC

  17. Planned

    What to Put in the Off-Chain Purchase Contract

    Name the asset, the amounts, the wallet addresses, the deadlines, and what has to be true before anyone approves.

    Search topic: purchase agreement crypto escrow

Business closings

Company sales, asset purchases, equipment, and shareholder buyouts often need more than a payer and a payee. A broker, a lawyer, or a second seller may have to sign off, and the payout may be split. This cluster is about designing those parties inside one escrow: who deposits, who receives, and who only acknowledges. The amounts have to balance. The contract will not invent a payment you forgot to write down.

  1. Published

    Multi-Party Escrow for Business Closings

    Search topic: business closings

  2. Planned

    Asset Purchases Settled in USDC

    An asset purchase can lock the price in USDC while bills of sale and assignments are signed off-chain.

    Search topic: asset purchase USDC

  3. Planned

    Holdbacks and Earnouts Without a Bank

    A holdback is a separate escrow with its own deadline, not a promise that someone will remember to send the rest.

    Search topic: M&A holdback escrow

  4. Planned

    Shareholder Buyouts Using Escrow

    Price, share transfer, and release can be sequenced so the tokens move only after every selling shareholder approves.

    Search topic: shareholder buyout escrow

  5. Planned

    Equipment Purchases Between Companies

    The buyer locks USDC or USDT. The seller ships. Both approve when the equipment matches the order.

    Search topic: equipment purchase escrow

  6. Planned

    Inventory Purchases in Stablecoins

    Useful when the buyer and the wholesaler do not share a bank, and neither wants to pay or ship first with no lock.

    Search topic: inventory purchase USDC

  7. Planned

    Joint Venture Contributions

    Each contributor deposits. Nobody is paid until every contributor approves the release, or the deadline refunds them.

    Search topic: joint venture crypto escrow

  8. Planned

    Domain Names and Digital Assets in a Business Sale

    The escrow holds the payment token. The domain registrar transfer still happens at the registrar.

    Search topic: domain sale escrow

  9. Planned

    Vendor Deposits Before Delivery

    A deposit can be locked until delivery is accepted, instead of sitting in the vendor's operating wallet.

    Search topic: vendor deposit escrow

  10. Planned

    Splitting One Closing Among Several Recipients

    Seller, lender payoff, broker, and advisor can each have a will-receive amount, as long as the totals balance.

    Search topic: split payout escrow

  11. Planned

    Escrow for a Small Business Acquisition

    The purchase price can settle in USDC. Licenses, leases, and employee transfers remain ordinary legal work.

    Search topic: buy a business with crypto

  12. Planned

    Franchise Fees and Escrow

    A franchise fee can be locked until both sides approve that the conditions in the franchise agreement are met.

    Search topic: franchise fee escrow

  13. Planned

    Invoice Settlement Compared with Escrow

    An invoice asks to be paid. An escrow defines what happens if it is not, including the refund path.

    Search topic: crypto invoice vs escrow

Milestones and private trades

Freelancers, contractors, and OTC counterparties can use an escrow when they do not want to trust a stranger's promise to pay or to deliver. These guides cover milestone structure, why one escrow cannot release half now and half later, and how a one-asset contract handles a trade. Delivery still happens off-chain. The contract only moves the tokens that were deposited, and only after the approval rule is satisfied.

  1. Published

    Milestone Payments for Freelancers

    Search topic: milestone payments

  2. Published

    OTC Crypto Escrow for Private Trades

    Search topic: OTC crypto escrow

  3. Planned

    Paying a Contractor in USDC

    Lock the price, name the acceptance rule, and release only when the hiring party and the contractor both approve.

    Search topic: pay contractor USDC

  4. Planned

    Software Development Milestones

    Each milestone that should be payable on its own needs its own escrow. One contract releases everything together.

    Search topic: software milestone escrow

  5. Planned

    Design and Creative Project Escrow

    Revisions and acceptance criteria belong in the off-chain brief. The escrow only knows whether the parties approved.

    Search topic: design project escrow

  6. Planned

    Consulting Engagements with an Approval Gate

    A consulting period can end in approval and release, or in a deadline that refunds the unused deposit.

    Search topic: consulting escrow USDC

  7. Planned

    Security Deposits Paid in USDC

    A deposit that should come back to the payer is a payout back to that payer, written at creation, not a favor later.

    Search topic: USDC security deposit

  8. Planned

    Commission Splits for Agents and Affiliates

    List every payee and amount up front. A split that is not in the contract will not be paid by the contract.

    Search topic: commission split crypto

  9. Planned

    Marketplace Sales Between Strangers

    Escrow reduces the 'pay first or ship first' problem. It does not inspect the goods.

    Search topic: p2p marketplace escrow

  10. Planned

    Retainer Compared with Escrow

    A retainer is usually spent as work happens. An escrow stays locked until approval or a refund rule.

    Search topic: retainer vs escrow

Disputes and safety

Real deals stall. Someone misses a deadline, funds from the wrong wallet, or refuses to approve. This cluster explains the exits that are actually in the contract: funding timeout, approval timeout, dispute, and the 30-day dispute refund. It also covers wallet hygiene. There is no support desk that can reverse a signed transaction. The safety model is the set of rules recorded when the escrow was created.

  1. Published

    How Crypto Escrow Disputes Work

    Search topic: crypto escrow disputes

  2. Published

    Dispute Timeouts and Refunds

    Search topic: dispute timeout

  3. Published

    A Wallet Checklist Before You Fund

    Search topic: wallet checklist

  4. Published

    No-KYC Crypto Escrow, Explained

    Search topic: no-KYC crypto escrow

  5. Planned

    How to Raise a Dispute

    A party can raise a dispute only from Funded or Approved. It freezes release immediately.

    Search topic: raise dispute crypto escrow

  6. Planned

    Who Can Remove a Dispute

    Only the wallet that raised the dispute can remove it, and removing it does not extend the deadlines.

    Search topic: remove escrow dispute

  7. Planned

    Why Disputed Funds Are Refunded, Not Split

    There is no mediator inside the contract who can award 70% to one side. The timeout refunds deposits.

    Search topic: escrow refund not arbitration

  8. Planned

    Funding Timeout Refunds

    If funding is incomplete when the deadline passes, whoever did deposit can be refunded. Whoever did not deposit gets nothing back.

    Search topic: funding timeout escrow

  9. Planned

    Approval Timeout Refunds

    If someone refuses to approve before the approval deadline, the escrow can be terminated and deposits returned.

    Search topic: approval timeout refund

  10. Planned

    Why an Approved Escrow Does Not Expire

    Once every participant has approved, the funding and approval deadlines no longer cancel the deal. Someone still has to release.

    Search topic: approved escrow release

  11. Planned

    Smart Contract Risk in Plain Language

    Bugs, wrong addresses, and chain reorgs are the risks you actually have. A support ticket is not one of the remedies.

    Search topic: smart contract risk

  12. Planned

    Phishing Sites That Imitate Escrow Apps

    Check the domain before you connect a wallet. A copied interface can ask you to sign a transfer the real app would not.

    Search topic: escrow phishing

  13. Planned

    What a Smart Contract Audit Does and Does Not Prove

    An audit is a review at a point in time. It is not insurance, and this site does not claim a current audit badge.

    Search topic: smart contract audit

  14. Planned

    Why Detailed Escrow Views Are Limited to Parties

    The detailed read function requires the caller to be a party. The events emitted on-chain are still public.

    Search topic: private escrow view

ETH, USDC, and USDT

ETH moves with the market. USDC and USDT are meant to track one US dollar, and they are the usual choice when a contract names a dollar price. This cluster compares the three assets DeFiEscrow supports, including decimals, token approvals, the ETH-only minimum fee, and what a stablecoin depeg would mean while funds are locked. Cross-border settlement is often faster than a wire, and it is still subject to the laws that apply to the people in the deal.

  1. Published

    ETH, USDC, or USDT for Escrow

    Search topic: USDC escrow

  2. Published

    Cross-Border Stablecoin Escrow

    Search topic: cross-border stablecoin escrow

  3. Planned

    Why Settle a Closing in USDC

    A dollar price stays readable when the locked asset is meant to track a dollar. ETH is a different bet.

    Search topic: USDC settlement

  4. Planned

    USDT Escrow: What to Check First

    USDT deposits need a token approval, and changing an existing USDT allowance sometimes means setting it to zero first.

    Search topic: USDT escrow ethereum

  5. Planned

    Stablecoin Depeg Risk While Funds Are Locked

    If the token's market price moves while the escrow is open, the contract still pays the token amount, not a repaired dollar value.

    Search topic: stablecoin depeg escrow

  6. Planned

    Token Decimals for USDC, USDT, and ETH

    USDC and USDT use 6 decimals. ETH uses 18. The app formats this. A hand-built transaction has to get it right.

    Search topic: USDC decimals

  7. Planned

    Mainnet and Testnet Tokens Are Not the Same

    A Sepolia token and a mainnet token share a ticker and nothing else. Confirm the network before a real deposit.

    Search topic: ethereum mainnet vs testnet

  8. Planned

    How Long an Ethereum Escrow Transaction Takes

    A transaction is pending until it is included and considered final enough for your deal. The protocol does not promise a two-second settlement.

    Search topic: ethereum escrow confirmation

Choosing an escrow

Escrow is an old idea. Title companies, lawyers' trust accounts, and custodial websites all offer a version of it. A smart contract is another version, with different failure modes. These guides are for choosing. Sometimes you want a licensed person who can exercise judgment. Sometimes you want a contract that cannot pay anyone until every participant approves, and that refunds deposits if a deadline passes. Many closings use both.

  1. Published

    Crypto Escrow vs Traditional Escrow

    Search topic: crypto escrow vs traditional escrow

  2. Planned

    DeFiEscrow and a Lawyer's Trust Account

    A trust account comes with professional duties and a person who can receive instructions. A contract comes with a rule and no discretion.

    Search topic: lawyer trust account vs escrow

  3. Planned

    DeFiEscrow and a Custodial Web Escrow

    A custodial website can reverse or mediate because it holds the money. DeFiEscrow cannot, because it does not.

    Search topic: escrow.com alternative

  4. Planned

    When a Traditional Escrow Is Still the Right Tool

    Use a traditional escrow when you need title insurance, regulated custody, or a human who can interpret a messy dispute.

    Search topic: when to use traditional escrow

  5. Planned

    How to Compare Crypto Escrow Fees

    Compare the protocol fee, the minimum, gas, and any mediator fee. A low headline rate can hide a custody spread.

    Search topic: compare crypto escrow fees

  6. Planned

    Questions to Ask Before Using a Smart Contract Escrow

    Who can be paid, who must approve, what the refund is, which network you are on, and which promises live only in a PDF.

    Search topic: questions before crypto escrow