$WAL
Walrus (WAL) and the Walrus Protocol
Walrus tackles a major flaw in modern data storage: most large data lives in centralized systems that can change policies, prices, or delete files at will. Even on blockchains, “ownership” often points to off-chain storage that can disappear. Walrus fixes this by splitting responsibilities: the blockchain manages verification and commitments, while a decentralized network stores the actual data reliably.
Built on Sui, Walrus keeps large files off-chain while handling metadata, commitments, and incentives on-chain. Files are split into pieces, distributed across nodes using erasure coding, and anchored with availability proofs, ensuring high reliability without full replication. Its “Red Stuff” engine offers ~4.5x replication and self-healing bandwidth proportional to lost data, tolerating node failures and network churn efficiently.
WAL tokens secure the network and align operator incentives through staking and rewards. With a max supply of 5 billion WAL, the system balances ecosystem funding, operator rewards, and stable storage costs.
Network scale, usage, and decentralization are key metrics. Recent data shows 4,167 TB across 121 nodes and 103 operators, with 26% in use. While risks include Sui dependency and adoption hurdles, Walrus aims to make storage reliable and composable, letting developers build, publish, and store data without fearing invisible dependencies.