FileCoin
Decentralized Storage Network
Foundation
Details
License Permissive (MIT / Apache 2.0 — https://github.com/filecoin-project)
Dev Status 🟢 Active
Dev Status Detail Released — mainnet operational since October 2020; EiB-scale storage capacity across global network of storage providers; Filecoin Virtual Machine (FVM) launched 2023 enabling smart contracts; active protocol development on NV23+ network versions
Owner Protocol Labs (Juan Benet, Founder/CEO)
Owner - List
- Protocol Labs
Governing Body Company-controlled (Protocol Labs) | FIP process (Filecoin Improvement Proposals — community specification process)
Governing Body - List
- Protocol Labs
Country USA
Start Year 2014
Stack Go + Rust
Funding VC + ICO
Last Investigated Mar 9, 2026
Decentralized Storage Network Attributes
Owner - List
- Protocol Labs
Origins Developed as incentive layer for IPFS by Protocol Labs
Database Blockchain + IPFS distributed storage
Query Language Network queries via libp2p
Data Formats Any file type, CID-addressed content
Mobile Support No (protocol/network infrastructure)
Web Support Yes (via web gateways and applications)
Native Apps No (protocol infrastructure, not end-user app)
Terms Free protocol, market-based storage pricing
Funds $257M ICO (2017: $52M presale + $205M public), additional VC rounds
Based On IPFS (InterPlanetary File System)
Governing Body - List
- Protocol Labs
P2P Architecture DHT-based decentralized storage network with proof-of-storage consensus
Overlay Network libp2p with Kademlia DHT
Content Addressing Yes (CID via IPFS content addressing)
Local-First No (network storage protocol, not local-first)
E2EE N/A (client-side encryption optional; not protocol-level E2EE)
Byzantine Fault Tolerance Yes (consensus via Proof-of-Replication, Proof-of-Spacetime)
Signature Cryptographic proofs (PoRep, PoSt) + BLS signatures
Permissions Market-based access control, smart contract permissions via FVM
Semantic Web Compatibility N/A (can store any content including RDF, but no native semantic web support)
Smart Contract Yes (FVM - Filecoin Virtual Machine, launched March 14, 2023)
Protocol Stack Position Application-layer (built on TCP/IP)
Asset / Value Embedding Native (FIL token is the protocol's sole medium of exchange; storage deal collateral, miner block rewards, retrieval payments, and on-chain penalties all denominated and settled in FIL; no off-chain settlement path at base layer)
Protocol Maturity / Standardization Proprietary Open Standard (FIPs — Filecoin Improvement Proposals; detailed protocol specification; built on IPFS/IPLD standards)
Update Policy Immutable / Append-only (content-addressed CIDs are immutable by definition; updating data requires storing a new CID; mutable references possible via IPNS or FVM smart contract pointers but not native to base storage protocol)
Storage Proof Mechanism Hybrid PoRep + PoSt: Proof of Replication (PoRep) cryptographically proves a miner physically sealed a unique copy of client data at deal start; Proof of Spacetime (PoSt) — WindowPoSt and WinningPoSt — continuously proves data is retained over time; both verified on-chain via zkSNARK circuits
Economic / Incentive Model Token rewards + market fees (FIL native token): storage providers earn FIL block rewards (WinningPoSt) plus client deal fees; retrieval providers earn FIL via off-chain payment channels; providers stake FIL collateral slashed on PoSt failure; deal pricing set by open market between clients and providers
Retrieval Guarantee Storage: cryptoeconomically enforced (PoSt failures trigger collateral slashing); Retrieval: best-effort (retrieval market currently lacks on-chain enforcement; providers are paid via off-chain micropayment channels; Saturn CDN and future Retrieval Markets aim to strengthen guarantees)
Relationships
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