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About Giggles
Giggles is a social trading platform that combines short-form video content with speculative trading mechanics. Users can post or watch videos and "invest" in trends they believe will go viral, earning rewards if the content gains traction. The platform initially used a virtual "aura points" system and plans to introduce cryptocurrency-based real-money transactions.
The core value proposition is shifting social media from passive consumption to active participation. It taps into existing user behavior on platforms like TikTok where people comment "I'm early" on trending posts, turning that instinct into an actual tradable action. The platform aims to create markets where early discovery of viral content reaps financial returns, addressing the pain point that content creators and early trend-spotters currently receive no direct compensation for their contribution to a trend's popularity.
In the past six months (March to September 2026), Giggles has been in invite-only beta, reaching nearly 30,000 daily active users and attracting over 400,000 waitlist signups. The company announced plans in April 2026 to expand product capabilities and introduce real-money mechanics ahead of a broader public release.
Regarding negative developments within the last two years: the platform has faced criticism over content moderation failures. User reports and app store reviews documented that explicit sexual content and graphic NSFW material appeared in feeds without warning, including for accounts registered as under 18, despite the app's 13+ rating. The platform also acknowledged challenges with bot activity, though it claims the trading mechanism could help surface genuinely popular content.
In April 2026, Giggles announced a $1.2M pre-seed round led by 1kx, with participation from Virtuals Protocol, Bain Capital Scout, Night Capital, and others, bringing total funding to over $1.2M (, ). Since its beta launch in August 2025, over 150,000 users traded across 10,000 videos, reaching nearly 30,000 daily active users and a 400,000-person waitlist; the app hit top 40 on U.S. and Canada App Store charts (). Official roadmap: a public U.S. launch on iOS, Android, and web with real-money trading mechanics for the first time, plus crypto-based investment features. The team plans to expand product capabilities and distribution ahead of launch, aiming to become the first crypto app where users spend 30+ minutes daily (, ).
Justin Jin, Co-Founder & CEO, 19, from Vancouver, Canada. Previously founded Mediababy, a short-form video publisher reaching 200M+ monthly users; earlier a YouTuber (50mMidas) and e-commerce entrepreneur ($200K+ Shopify revenue). Dropped out of Babson College after freshman year, now in NYC on O-1 visa.
Edwin Wang, Co-Founder & CTO, 20, from Toronto. Has built iOS/Android apps since age 13; co-founded Gen Z social food delivery app MyBite as CTO, raising $200K at 16. Currently a freshman at Babson College majoring in Technology Entrepreneurship.