In the fast-moving world of blockchain storage, new projects often grab attention with big claims—cheapest costs, unbreakable security, endless scale. Walrus, a decentralized storage network built on the Sui blockchain, takes a quieter path. Launched on mainnet in 2025, it focuses on handling large files like images, videos, and datasets for AI and Web3 apps. Instead of hype, its strength shows in actual performance and growing capacity.
At its core, Walrus uses smart tech called Red Stuff—a two-dimensional erasure coding system. This breaks data into small pieces spread across many nodes. With just about five times the original file size in storage overhead, it stays efficient and resilient. If some nodes go offline, data remains safe and quick to recover. Real tests show millisecond response times, making it practical for everyday use, from storing NFT art to AI model data.
What sets Walrus apart is real-world adoption. By early 2026, it handles millions of blobs and petabyte-scale storage. Projects like Humanity Protocol moved millions of user credentials to Walrus for permanent, private on-chain storage. Builders use it for permanent NFT collections, decentralized media, and AI agents that need reliable big data. Over 100 independent nodes run the network, backed by staking with the $WAL token. Early subsidies keep costs low, helping growth while nodes earn steady rewards.
Of course, it's not perfect yet. As a young protocol, revenue is building slowly, and it competes with giants like Filecoin or Arweave. But Walrus ties closely to Sui's high-speed chain, making data programmable—turn storage into tradable assets or link it to smart contracts.
This approach builds trust through proven capacity. Fast reads, efficient encoding, and rising usage show Walrus can handle heavy loads without overpromising. In an industry full of flash, its quiet progress points to lasting impact for decentralized data in gaming, AI, and beyond.
Walrus Decentralized Data Storage to Web3 and AI on the Sui ...
