Sudo

Crypto escrow service

Smart contract escrow for every crypto deal.

A decentralized escrow platform for freelancers, OTC swaps and NFT trades — lock USDT, ETH or any token in audited contracts. On-chain dispute resolution, no middleman, no chargebacks.

$48M

Settled

0

Funds lost

98.4%

Resolved without dispute

11h

Median dispute time

Escrow contract
Funded

Locked in escrow

1,200.00 USDC

0x7ef…b21 · Sudo Escrow v3 · audited by Trail of Bits

  1. Buyer funds escrow

    Tx 0x2a..91

  2. Seller delivers work

    3 attached files

  3. Validators verify

    3 of 5 voted

    live

  4. Funds released

    Auto on majority vote

5 validators

selected at random · hidden

Majority vote

3-of-5 releases funds

The flow

Fund. Deliver. Release.

Open an escrow from any chat. The buyer funds it, the seller delivers, and either side confirms release. If they don't agree, validators take over.

  • Live status card stays in the chat thread
  • Both sides can preview the contract source
  • Partial release supported — close as you go
  • Auto-release after timelock if neither side acts
Dispute panel · case #4928
voting

5 validators selected from the active set. Identities hidden. Votes revealed only after the commit window closes.

V01
yes
rev
V02
yes
rev
V03
yes
rev
V04sealed
V05sealed

Tally

commit window 14:23

3 / 5

Majority threshold reached — funds will be released to seller on window close.

Hidden validators

A jury you can't bribe — because you can't see it.

When disputed, Sudo Escrow forms a panel of 3, 5 or 7 validators, drawn at random from the active set. Their identities stay sealed during the vote, and majority decides.

  • Validator identities sealed via commit-reveal voting
  • Always odd-numbered — no ties, no deadlocks
  • Validators slashed for absence or bad-faith votes
  • All votes & rationales recorded on-chain after reveal

What it ships with

Escrow built like a real product

Audited contracts

Sudo Escrow v3 audited by Trail of Bits, Spearbit and Code4rena. All reports public.

Multi-token

Escrow ETH, BTC (wrapped), USDC, USDT, DAI, SUDO or any ERC-20 you choose.

Milestone splits

Release funds in phases — 30 % on draft, 70 % on delivery.

Configurable timelock

Set a 24h, 7d or custom window before funds are auto-released or refunded.

Hidden validators

Disputes go to a random odd-numbered panel whose identities stay sealed during voting.

Chat-native

Open, fund and resolve an escrow without leaving the conversation.

How it works

From handshake to settled — step by step

  1. 01

    Open the escrow

    Either party tabs /escrow in chat. Pick the token, amount, timelock and milestones.
  2. 02

    Buyer funds the contract

    Funds move from the buyer's wallet straight into the audited Sudo Escrow contract — never Sudo's wallet.
  3. 03

    Seller delivers

    Files, links or on-chain proofs are attached to the escrow card. Buyer reviews.
  4. 04

    Release, or dispute

    If both parties agree, funds release in one signature. If not, the validator panel votes. Majority wins.

When to use it

Peer-to-peer escrow for crypto deals of every size

Freelance gigs

Pay devs, designers and writers without paypal disputes or invoice ghosting.

OTC swaps

Trade tokens off-exchange without trusting the other side's wallet.

Group purchases

Pool funds for an NFT, a domain or a SaaS subscription. Refund if it falls through.

Bounties & quests

Lock the prize before posting. Validators verify completion.

Equipment rentals

Hold a deposit, release on safe return — all programmable.

Ticket presales

Refund automatically if the event is cancelled or fails minimum signups.

Sudo Escrow vs the alternatives

What makes it different

FeatureSudoBank wireStripeCentralised escrow
Non-custodial
Settles in <2s
On-chain auditable
Programmable milestonesLimited
Dispute resolutionValidator voteNoneChargebackLawyer
Crypto-native tokens
Fees0.5% (capped)$25 wire2.9% + 30¢1–5%

FAQ

Escrow, answered

What stops a validator from siding with the highest bidder?+
Validators are randomly selected per dispute and their identities are hidden during voting. Front-running them requires bribing all of them — and they're slashed if their vote disagrees with the eventual majority. The full slashing rules are in the validator policy.
What's the fee?+
0.5% on successful release, capped at 25 USDC equivalent. The fee is split between validators (60%), the protocol treasury (30%) and a public goods grant (10%).
What happens on a tie?+
Panels are always odd-numbered (3, 5, 7), so there can't be a tie.
Can I get my funds out if the validator network goes offline?+
Yes. The contract has a 30-day no-quorum fallback that returns funds to the buyer if no panel reaches a majority.
Does Sudo see the dispute evidence?+
Sudo runs the relay, but evidence files are encrypted to the validator panel only. Sudo employees can't open them — see the security architecture and audit reports.
Is the contract upgradeable?+
Sudo Escrow v3 is non-upgradeable. New versions ship as new contracts, opt-in only — read the deep dive in the whitepaper.
Keep exploring

Related pages on Sudo

Hand-picked next reads from across the Sudo stack — pick whichever surface you want to learn about next.

No more handshake deals

Lock the funds. Trust the code.

Download SudoRead the audit