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The dispute mechanism is a safety valve for employers. When a submitted work session does not reflect the agreed deliverables — regardless of how the timing or payment math was recorded — you can freeze the reserved funds and initiate a resolution conversation with the freelancer. This page explains when to use a dispute, what it does on-chain, and how to reach resolution.

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When to dispute

Disputes exist to protect you from approving work that was not delivered as agreed. Consider disputing a session when:

Work doesn't match deliverables

The recorded work — Git changes, changed files, commit range — does not align with what was agreed for this payment period.

Git changes are inconsistent

The diff shown in the report does not reflect the claimed scope of work. Files changed are unrelated, minimal, or duplicated from a previous session.

Inaccurate delivery statement

The freelancer’s written summary misrepresents what was actually done during the session.

Scope disagreement

Both parties disagree about whether the session satisfied the agreed-upon deliverable for this milestone.
The payment amount is always contract-enforced (active seconds × stream rate, capped by escrow). Disputes are about work quality and deliverables — not the arithmetic. You cannot dispute the calculated payment figure; only the contract can change it.

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How to dispute

1

Navigate to the stream page

Go to /stream/[id] for the relevant engagement. Find it quickly from your dashboard.
2

Open the work session report

Select the WORK SESSIONS tab and click the Reserved session you want to contest. Review the full report — timing, Git changes, and delivery statement — before proceeding.
3

Click Dispute

Select the Dispute button. The action is recorded on-chain immediately.
4

Reservation is frozen

The session’s WithdrawalStatus transitions to Disputed. The reserved amount is frozen in the stream contract escrow. The freelancer cannot withdraw the funds, and the automatic timeout (finalize_timeout) does not apply to disputed sessions.

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Dispute flow

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What a dispute does on-chain

When you click Dispute, the following happens at the contract level:

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Resolution

Currently, Aven does not include an on-chain arbitration mechanism. Resolution requires direct communication between you and the freelancer outside of the Aven platform. Once you reach an agreement: If you agree the work was satisfactory (fully or partially):
  • Return to the stream page and click Approve on the disputed session.
  • The contract releases the reserved amount to the freelancer’s wallet.
  • An attestation is minted as with any normal approval.
If no agreement is reached:
  • The session remains in Disputed status indefinitely.
  • The frozen reservation stays in escrow until the dispute is resolved.
  • Neither party can access the frozen funds while the dispute is open.
Resolution requires both parties to communicate and reach agreement outside of Aven. Keep records of your project agreement and any relevant communications — they will inform the resolution conversation.

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Outstanding withdrawals and final delivery

A disputed session with frozen funds counts as an outstanding withdrawal. This has a direct impact on project completion:
  • You cannot submit a --ended (final project) session while any session is in Pending, Reserved, or Disputed status.
  • All outstanding sessions must be resolved — approved or otherwise cleared — before the final session can be submitted and the remaining escrow settled.
Disputed sessions block final project delivery. Resolve all pending disputes before submitting a --ended session.
The dispute mechanism protects employers from approving work that was not delivered. It does not modify the payment amount — the contract enforces exact amounts based on active seconds and the stream rate. A dispute freezes the session; it does not recalculate or reduce the payment figure.