Sex Workers Have Serious Issues With a Crypto-Powered 'Uber for Escorts'

That's how one sex worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the cryptocurrency platform PinkDate, for which she was invited to test the service but refused.

Describing itself as the "Uber of escorting," PinkDate is one of several sex industry startups launching a crypto-fueled booking app funded by an initial coin offering.

The team has raised more than $1 million through the sale, and a dozen escorts are registered to use the app, according to Sarah Stevens, PinkDate's former president and chief operating officer.

Another way in which escorts might have to trust PinkDate's shadowy founders is with client screening to weed out abusive customers.

While the platform will also ask clients to provide identification, sex workers worry PinkDate isn't devoting enough resources to cross-reference these IDs with industry blacklist databases.

Another escort, who also requested anonymity, said the team has not been communicative with sex workers who signed up to use the app.

All this might be acceptable to some in the profession if PinkDate still had a sex worker on staff, but Stevens was the only one and PinkDate publicly severed ties with her last month.

Another concern expressed by sex workers is that PinkDate would take a large cut of escorts' earnings on the platform while offering them little in return in the way of support services.

PinkDate will process bitcoin and monero payments from clients, then charge individual escorts up to 20 percent.

Escorts will be able to freely cash out crypto if they choose.