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Stream/Area:
-
Subject:
-
Paper ID:
IJSREM62216
Volume:
10 |
4 |
April 2026
Pages:
1-7
Publication Frequency:
Monthly (12 issues per year)
License:International Journal of Scientific Research in Engineering and Management follows the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) License, allowing free use and distribution with proper attribution.
Department of Computer Science and Engineering (Cyber Security)
Sushant University, Gurugram, India
Department of Computer Science and Engineering (Cyber Security)
Sushant University, Gurugram, India
School of Engineering and Technology
Sushant University, Gurugram, India
The gig economy is experiencing a revolutionary upheaval across the world. However, such an economic phenomenon continues to be dependent on central intermediaries whose high costs in terms of service fees and arbitration processes pose significant challenges. Traditional gig freelancing websites work as neutral mediators; however, their centralized structure means that high commissions—previously amounting to 20 percent—are commonplace. This paper attempts to develop an automated decentralized escrow solution via Ethereum smart contracts. The first limitation to address with current web3-based solutions is the "subjectivity gap" that arises when validating off-chain performance of digital services. In light of this, Decentralized Oracle Networks (DONs) will be introduced to automate the process of objective milestone verification using cryptographic proof of work through GitHub merge events. Economic feasibility analysis will be done through comparisons between the conventional percentage system of commissions and the Layer-2 flat-rate cost savings provided by gas payments. As a security-centric analysis, a security review will be performed in regards to vulnerabilities such as "prodigal" or "suicidal" code to ensure fund safety amid India's legal and tax environment.
KEYWORDS
This work has developed an all-encompassing technical and economic solution for the decentralization of freelance service exchange based on the Ethereum-based escrow and Decentralized Oracle Network (DON) [1], [2], [6]. By tackling two major issues inherent to centralized platforms ("Trust Tax" and settlement latency), it was determined that a viable alternative exists for the financial sovereignty of freelance workers [3], [15]. This research demonstrates that the "Buyer and Seller's Dilemma" problem can be solved using dual-deposit escrow, thereby providing mathematical incentive for both sides to complete the transaction and avoid involvement of a third party [4], [5]. In addition, DONs were determined to be the key tool enabling automation of milestone-based payments based on off-chain technical events. By connecting a particular GitHub merge commit hash to a certain payment condition, such a solution solves problems with subjective milestone completion criteria and potential "client ghosting" that are typical of the gig economy today [1], [6]. Analytical calculations show that, compared to tiered commissions, Layer-2 solutions for off-chain processing of such transactions significantly decrease operational costs of the system [3].
[1] A. Singh, S. Kumar, R. Kumar, and S. Shenai, “DLancer: A decentralised freelancing platform,” SCITEPRESS, 2025. [2] “Decentralized freelancing platforms using Ethereum,” International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology, 2025. [3] “Decentralized gig economy,” International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science, 2026. [4] A. Asgaonkar and B. Krishnamachari, “Solving the buyer and seller’s dilemma: A dual-deposit escrow smart contract for digital goods,” in Proc. IEEE ICBC, 2019. [5] S. Zola, K. Arora, and A. Devipriya, “A decentralized escrow protocol based on blockchain,” AIP Conf. Proc., 2024. [6] S. Ellis, A. Juels, and S. Nazarov, “Chainlink 2.0: Next steps in the evolution of decentralized oracle networks,” Chainlink Labs, 2021. [7] A. Pasdar, Y. C. Lee, and Z. Dong, “Connect API with blockchain: A survey on blockchain oracle implementation,” ACM Comput. Surv., 2023. [8] C. Duley, L. Gambacorta, R. Garratt, and P. Koo Wilkens, “The oracle problem and the future of DeFi,” BIS Bulletin no. 76, 2023. [9] K. Christidis and M. Devetsikiotis, “Blockchains and smart contracts for the Internet of Things,” IEEE Access, vol. 4, 2016. [10] L. Luu, D. H. Chu, H. Olickel, P. Saxena, and A. Hobor, “Making smart contracts smarter,” in Proc. ACM CCS, 2016.
Publication Date
5/1/2026
Peer Review Type
Double-Blind Peer Review
Review Rounds: 2
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The authors declare no conflict of interest related to this research work.
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