Blocklance - A Blockchain Powered Freelancing Platform

The global gig economy relies heavily on centralized freelance platforms, which face many problems like high fees for intermediaries, payment disputes, and a lack of transparency. Clients may not receive their work after paying, and freelancers can go unpaid after delivering their work. This paper presents BlockLance, a complete decentralized application (dApp) aimed at solving these problems using blockchain technology. At its core, the system uses a Solidity smart contract deployed on an EVM-compatible testnet (Sepolia) that acts as a trustless, automated escrow agent. The contract oversees the entire job process, from job creation and funding tied to milestones to automatic payment release when the client approves the work. This on-chain logic is managed via a React-based frontend that connects to a Node.js/Express backend for off-chain tasks, such as file uploads and user data. The setup ensures that all financial transactions are safe, transparent, and verifiable on the blockchain, while user-related data is processed effectively off-chain. The successful launch and implementation of BlockLance show a practical model for a more fair and safer freelance environment, effectively reducing the probability of payment fraud and dependence on expensive central authorities.