I’m watching Walrus because they’re trying something that feels foundational.
Unlike traditional storage networks, Walrus treats data as a first class citizen on the Sui blockchain.
Each file becomes a programmable object that smart contracts can reference, control, or tie to payments and licensing.
They’re designing storage to be resilient, automated, and fully governed by code rather than trust.
The technical setup is clever.
Files are split into many pieces and encoded with erasure coding before being distributed to storage nodes.
This ensures that the original file can be reconstructed even if parts of the network fail.
Repairs happen automatically to maintain availability, and costs are kept lower than naive replication methods.
WAL tokens are used to pay for storage.
Users prepay, and providers earn rewards gradually over time, aligning incentives for long-term reliability.
In practice this means developers can store AI datasets, media files, or any large digital asset with predictable availability and clear governance.
Smart contracts can automate access, renewal, or licensing without relying on third-party storage providers.
The long-term vision is that storage stops being a separate concern and becomes a core, programmable part of blockchain applications.
I’m excited because if it succeeds, Walrus could enable decentralized AI workflows, media distribution systems, and data marketplaces that run entirely onchain.
They’re quietly building a layer that many apps of the future may rely on without noticing it.
