Coinlancer: A true nextgen freelancing platform

5 min readDec 4, 2017

Freelancer indistry is currently $3 Billion and is expected to increase to $10 B in the next 6 years. And it is more apt keeping in mind the rapid page of internet adoption in various parts of the world.

Yet if you have ever worked as a freelancer in some of the popular sites like Upwork, Freelancer.com or Peopleperhour, then you must know the pain points of freelancers working in these sites.

For example, a job for translation was floated in a popular freelancing website. A freelancer bids for the job and is awarded, works hard to complete it. But after submission, the job owner rejects his/her work indicating that the freelancer has used translation software. The freelancer site rejects the work of the freelancer and refunds the entire money to the job owner. All the hard work of the freelancer goes in vain. On top of that the freelancer receives a negative rating.

Second example, a logo designer charges 50 USD per logo. S/he carters to on an average 20 users and does an excellent work. However, the charges levied by the freelancing site is as below:

For jobs that cost < $500, fee = 20%

For jobs that cost >$500 but < $5000, fee = 10%

For jobs that cost > $5000, fee = 5%

Even if the freelancer does a business of $1000+ every week, s/he pays a hefty charge of 20% of the job cost.

In addition there are other major issues like identity theft, fake reviews etc. that makes the life of freelancer tough.

Coinlancer tries to address these issues by creating a blockchain based freelancing website that overcomes the below issues faced by traditional freelancing websites like Upwork, Freelancer.com or PPH.

Suspension of User Accounts

Freelancer accounts are often suspended on account of violating platform policies. The reasons for such suspensions have always been ambiguous and can range from sending too many proposals to prospective clients to inability to obtain projects due to poor matched skills. In most cases, reinstating of user accounts is a cumbersome process.

Lack of Fair Dispute Settlements

The subjectivity of work on a freelancing platform often calls for discrepancies in opinions and settlements in disputes. A typical freelancing platform does not guarantee such settlements. The dispute settlements often involve surplus arbitration costs and unfavorable binding decisions, which may not be in the best interest of a freelancer.

Unsecure Payments

Delay or non-payments are problems typical to any freelancing platform. The clients and freelancers have very little control over payments. In most cases, after project submission, either the client doesn’t receive high-quality work by a freelancer or the freelancer does not get paid at all.

High Transaction Fee

Traditional freelancing platforms require a freelancer to pay the site 20% on the first $500 earned, 10% on $501-$9,999 and 5% on $10, 000 and above. Since freelancers deal with clients on daily basis, 20% fee on each project will amount to huge earnings lost.

Identity Theft

Identity theft if a major issue for the highly rated freelancer wherein all the work done over the years can be easily undone by an unsoliciated person.

Fake Reviews

Fake reviewing on most of the freelancing sites have been a popular earner with more and more individuals writing fake reviews by means of unique identity and email addresses. Thus, reviews on traditional platforms are rather deceptive.

Biased Dispute Resolution

The subjectivity of work leaves it vulnerable and susceptible to discrepancies.

Coinlancer Solution:

No Suspension of User Accounts

Contrary to traditional freelancing platforms, no unannounced suspensions occur on Coinlancer. The Freelancers Tribunal decides on accounts that are deemed violative and fairly decides on it.

Fair Dispute Settlements

On Coinlancer, the discretion to decide on the arbitration of disputes lies with the Freelancers Tribunal. Every Freelancer within the tribunal is mandatorily a freelancer with a highprofile ranking, preferably a 4 Star Applicant, eligible to decide on matters of arbitration.

Secure Payments

Coinlancer’s Ethereum based platform uses the escrow payment system which holds the contract fees until the set obligations of the contract are met. On project completion, the funds are released, securing the interests of both the parties involved.

Low Transaction Fee

On any signed contract between a freelancer and a client, Coinlancer sets only 3% of the fees payable for a job offer.

Multiple Currency Support

20 + cryptocurrencies are accepted in Coinlancer platform.

Bitcoin
Ethereum
Bitcoin Cash
Ripple
LiteCoin
Dash
NEO
Ethereum Classic
NEM
Monero
IOTA
Qtum
OmiseGO
Cardano
Lisk
Zcash
Tether
Stellar Lumens
BitConnect
EOS
Identity Theft Elimination

Coinlancer’s Ethereum based network allows for assigning usernames to individuals hence eliminating the need to tie them to their actual personal information. True personal information of the freelancers especially is only known by the ‘site administration,’ which is technically the network, for the purpose of managing personal information and facilitating payouts to authentic freelancers.

Elimination of Fake Reviews

Coinlancer is an Ethereum platform that works on escrow system that constantly builds checks and balances in the system. It implements a customized software that detects suspicious reviews and removes those identified as fake. This is done by developing proprietary security algorithms for detection of scripts/bots that can be run on the platform.

So Coinlancer aims to create a true freelancing platform based on blockchain that can remove the painpoints faced by freelancers and let them focus on their core competency. It aims to create a true next generation freelancing platform.

The ICO is currently live and will end on 16 Dec 2017. You can visist their website https://www.coinlancer.io/ to participate in the ICO.