A decentralized, AI-powered escrow platform for work verification and instant payments, built on the Avalanche blockchain.

• Node.js (LTS version recommended)
• npm or Yarn (for JavaScript/TypeScript projects)
• Python 3.8+ (for AI Agent)
• pip (Python package installer)
• Git (for cloning the repository)
• Hardhat (Ethereum development environment, installed via npm)
• MetaMask or any Web3-compatible wallet (for interacting with the DApp)

Follow these steps to set up the project locally.

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone [YOUR_REPOSITORY_URL]
   cd verifi-app

2. Contracts Setup: Navigate to the contracts directory, install dependencies, and set up environment variables.

   cd contracts
   npm install # or yarn install
   cp .env.example .env
   # Edit .env with your PRIVATE_KEY, Fuji RPC URL, etc.

3. Frontend DApp Setup: Navigate to the frontend directory, install dependencies, and set up environment variables.

   cd ../frontend
   npm install # or yarn install
   cp .env.example .env
   # Edit .env with your contract address, etc.

4. AI Agent Setup: Navigate to the ai-agent directory, create a virtual environment, install Python dependencies, and set up environment variables.

   cd ../ai-agent
   python3 -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate
   pip install -r requirements.txt
   cp .env.example .env
   # Edit .env with your blockchain RPC URL, AI Agent private key, etc.
   deactivate # Optional: exit virtual environment

5. Hardhat Local Network (Optional, for local development): You can start a local Hardhat network in the contracts directory to deploy and test locally.

   cd ../contracts
   npx hardhat node

6. Deploy Contracts (if using local network): In a new terminal, from the contracts directory, deploy your contracts to the local Hardhat network.

   cd ../contracts
   # Ensure nvm is sourced and Node.js v20+ is used if you encounter issues
   # source ~/.nvm/nvm.sh && nvm use 20
   npx hardhat run scripts/deploy.ts --network localhost

   The contract should be deployed to 0x5FbDB2315678afecb367f032d93F642f64180aa3. ACTION REQUIRED: Update frontend/.env and ai-agent/.env with this deployed contract address for REACT_APP_CONTRACT_ADDRESS and CONTRACT_ADDRESS respectively.

This project aims to solve the core problems faced by global freelancers: high transaction fees, long payment settlement times, and subjective work quality disputes. VeriFi integrates a Smart Contract Escrow, an AI Agent as an automatic arbiter, and the speed of Avalanche to create a fair, transparent, and efficient solution.

The complete development planning document can be found at doc/development_plan.md.