Share this article
Filecoin Presale Raises $52 Million Ahead of ICO Launch
San Francisco-based startup Protocol Labs has sold $52 million in a token pre-sale ahead of an initial coin offering launch next week.
By Stan Higgins
Updated Sep 13, 2021, 6:48 a.m. Published Aug 4, 2017, 3:05 p.m.
San Francisco-based startup Protocol Labs has sold $52 million in a token pre-sale ahead of an initial coin offering launch next week.
Notable backers of the Filecoin pre-sale include Union Square Ventures and Sequoia Capital, according to a representative of the startup. The Wall Street Journal covered the pre-sale earlier today, and in a tweet, reporter Yuliya Chernova said that Winklevoss Capital, Digital Currency Group and Y Combinator president Sam Altman also took part.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
The startup did not immediately respond to a request for additional information about the pre-sale’s backers.
Filecoin is a blockchain-based data storage network with its own built-in cryptocurrency. The idea is that users can effectively offer some of their excess storage capacity for sale, and receive payment in the form of filecoins.
Next week’s sale is limited to accredited investors, who can participate via a platform called CoinList, which was developed by Protocol Labs and startup investment platform AngelList.
The platform’s stated aim is to serve as a platform for regulation-compliant ICOs, incorporating an issuance framework called the Simple Agreement for Future Tokens, or SAFT.
The sale comes amid growing interest – and participation – in token sales. According to data from CoinDesk's ICO Tracker, more than $1.6 billion has been raised through ICOs between 2014 and 2017.
Disclosure: CoinDesk is a subsidiary of Digital Currency Group.
Gumballs image via Shutterstock
More For You
What to know:
- As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M.
- GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.
- Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.
More For You
Bitcoin Holds Near $92K as Selling Cools, but Demand Still Lags
ETF inflows have finally turned positive, but weak on-chain activity, defensive derivatives positioning, and negative spot CVD show a market stabilizing without the conviction needed for a sustained move higher.
What to know:
- Bitcoin markets in Asia are stabilizing but remain structurally weak, with short-term holders dominating supply.
- U.S. ETF flows have shown signs of stabilization, but on-chain activity remains near cycle lows, indicating weak capital inflows.
- Bitcoin and Ether have seen price recoveries driven by spot demand and improved sentiment, while gold is supported by U.S. labor data and Fed rate cut expectations.
Top Stories
