The problem Trusto solves

Trusto is a decentralized escrow platform designed to secure peer-to-peer transactions in informal marketplaces and freelance deals. It leverages blockchain-based smart contracts on to hold funds transparently and immutably, ensuring payments are only released when agreed conditions are met.

Trusto removes the need for centralized intermediaries while preserving trust, speed, and fairness for both buyers and sellers across Web2 and Web3 environments.

Existing problems

• No secure payment mechanism in peer-to-peer marketplaces / non-marketplaces transactions
• High risk of fraud and non-payment
• Centralized marketplaces lock users into closed ecosystems

How Trusto solves them

• Smart contract escrow securely locks and releases funds
• Transparent, on-chain transaction verification
• Real-time chat for accountability

Challenges I ran into

One of the main challenges was time management, as this was my first hackathon and I was also new to blockchain development. Understanding how smart contracts work and how to integrate them into a real application took significant time, so I prioritized core features, learned rapidly through documentation and small prototypes, and focused on delivering a functional MVP within the limited timeframe.