If you can't do reach these kinds of easy development goals without a masternode presale, I question the dev team's commitment to the project.
Devs could just as easily sell the premine at market value if and when a market emerges; or, launch a fair 0-premine coin which would generate real interest from miners, mine it themselves, and then fund it at market value-- which would probably be increased due to the increased miner interest.
Otherwise the burden of proof is on the devs to show this isn't a cash grab for 5 BTC.