The post BlockDAG Crushes Polkadot, Tezos, and Filecoin ICO Records With Over $299M Raised appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.

In crypto history, few projects have stood out for their presale fundraising scale like Tezos, Filecoin, and Polkadot. Between 2017 and 2020, they were the industry’s giants, collecting hundreds of millions in early funding and establishing themselves as pillars of blockchain infrastructure. But in 2025, those numbers have officially been overtaken, not by another venture-backed chain or a Silicon Valley-backed protocol, but by a retail-powered, decentralized Layer 1 called BlockDAG. With over $299 million raised and a live user base exceeding 1.5 million, BlockDAG is changing the script on how major crypto projects launch. It’s now officially outpaced the total ICO hauls of Tezos ($232M), Filecoin ($233M), and Polkadot ($145M), and it has done so without any VC funding, no legal controversies, and with a working product already in users’ hands. A Look Back: The ICO Titans BlockDAG Just Surpassed Before understanding how significant BlockDAG’s achievement is, it’s important to understand the legacy it has now eclipsed. Tezos ($232M Raised in 2017) Tezos was a highly anticipated self-amending blockchain project that introduced novel governance features. The project raised $232 million in just under two weeks. However, the ICO structure, which relied on “non-refundable donations” rather than token purchases, sparked controversy. Internal legal battles delayed development, and user trust was put to the test. Filecoin ($233M Raised in 2017) Filecoin set the standard for decentralized storage networks. Its $233 million raise was one of the largest of the ICO era. Yet despite its promise, Filecoin was heavily backed by VCs and had a long runway to mainnet launch. Retail investors who participated early were diluted, and adoption took time to materialize. Polkadot ($145M Raised in 2017) Polkadot aimed to solve blockchain interoperability. While it successfully raised $145 million, development was slow, and token holders waited years for full rollout. Like many early…

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Filed under: News - @ June 14, 2025 10:24 am