01
Set the rule
Sponsor links the GitHub issue, sets the reward and writes acceptance criteria.
GitHub bounties with proof
Turn a blocked issue into a funded pull request.
Sponsors fund GitHub issues upfront. Builders claim only paid bounties with clear rules. LockBounty keeps the money, the PR, and the review evidence together—then the payout is released only to the claim accepted by the sponsor.
No builder fee. No GitHub-comment claim. No payout without linked proof.
lockbounty.dev / bounty / 82
Example · proof ready
github.com/routekit/api
Harden webhook signature verification
Issue #82 · Node · Hono · high-impact security fix
€1,200
builder reward
Sponsor paymentSecured
Claim slots2 of 3 open
Acceptance ruleLinked PR + ready review
Fund upfront, release after acceptance
Sponsor payment is secured before builders claim. AI reports inform the decision; the sponsor remains accountable for acceptance.
The decision trail
01Funded
€1,200 secured before the bounty opens
02Claimed
Up to three builders can compete with visible terms
03Reviewed
PR, CI, scope and security evidence stay linked
04Released
Sponsor accepts one claim and triggers payout
Money is visible first
A bounty cannot open to builders until sponsor payment is confirmed.
Competition has a boundary
Each bounty supports up to three active LockBounty claims.
Acceptance is defensible
The selected claim carries a linked PR and review evidence.
One accountable workflow
From issue to accepted PR, every important promise has a gate.
LockBounty does not ask either side to trust a comment thread. The bounty moves only when the payment, claim, pull request and review state say it can.
02
Secure the budget
Payment confirmation unlocks the bounty for builders—never before.
03
Attach the work
Builders claim through LockBounty and submit one linked pull request.
04
Make the call
Evidence and AI review make the sponsor decision auditable; acceptance releases payout.
A fairer marketplace
The sponsor gets control. The builder gets a reason to trust the work.
Both sides see the same decision path. That is what removes the usual ambiguity around open-source bounties, agency work and AI-assisted delivery.
For sponsors
Stop paying for a vague promise.
Turn an issue into a funded brief that makes the success condition, competition and final decision explicit.
- Set a builder reward before anyone starts
- Keep up to three competing claims visible
- Accept one linked PR and release the payout
- Keep disputes attached to evidence, not memory
For builders
Claim work with the money and rule already on the table.
Know the reward, sponsor reliability, claim capacity, AI policy and acceptance rule before committing your time.
- Browse only sponsor-funded bounties
- Connect Stripe to receive payouts, never to pay
- Submit PR evidence through a protected claim slot
- See the decision rule before you build
Review gate
AI makes the decision clearer. It never makes it for you.
Viktor and Kael attach advisory evidence to the claim: scope, risk, dependencies and execution signals. The sponsor or maintainer retains the final acceptance decision and the responsibility that comes with it.
Open AI gatePR evidence, not a black box
routekit/api · PR #418 · submitted through LockBounty
Review ready
Scope match
Does the diff solve the funded issue?
92%
Security review
What needs sponsor or maintainer attention?
2 notes
CI and dependencies
Are checks green and the production diff understood?
Ready
Human decision
AI advises; the sponsor decides whether to accept.
Required
Payout stays blocked until acceptance
The accepted LockBounty claim is the only payout path.
Clear economics
The number builders see is the reward they are competing for.
Builders do not pay to claim. Sponsors pay service and verification fees on top, before the bounty opens, so the workflow has a real payment and evidence trail behind it.
Builder reward
100 €
The displayed reward is the payout target for the sponsor-accepted LockBounty claim.
Platform fee
10%
Funds claim tracking, sponsor reputation, dispute evidence and marketplace operations.
AI verification
5%
Funds scope, security, dependency and execution evidence reports.
Example total before payment-provider fees: 115 €
See the complete fee modelMake the work accountable
Your next GitHub bounty should be more than a promise in a comment.
Start with a funded issue and a clear acceptance rule. LockBounty gives sponsors and builders one workflow they can both inspect.