FileCoin
Decentralized Storage NetworksDecentralized storage network with marketplace for storage and retrieval services using blockchain incentives
Fully P2P Foundation Low capture risk
Links
Details
License Apache 2.0 / MIT / Permissive
Dev Status Released
Owner Protocol Labs (Juan Benet, Founder/CEO)
Country USA
Start Year 2014
Stack Go, Rust
Funding VC, ICO
Last Investigated Mar 10, 2026
Decentralized Storage Network Attributes
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 Compatability 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)