The Walrus Network ($WAL) is a decentralized storage and data availability protocol designed specifically for large binary files (known as "blobs"), such as videos, images, and AI datasets.
Unlike traditional cloud storage (AWS/Google) or even some older crypto storage projects, Walrus is built on the Sui blockchain and focuses on high-speed, programmable storage that smart contracts can interact with directly.
## Core Technology: "Red Stuff"
The secret sauce of Walrus is its encoding algorithm called Red Stuff.
Efficiency: Instead of full replication (copying the whole file 10 times), it uses erasure coding to split data into tiny fragments called "slivers."
Cost-Effective: It requires only about 4.5x replication to ensure data safety, which makes it significantly cheaper than competitors like Filecoin or Arweave.
Resilience: The network can reconstruct your data even if up to one-third of the storage nodes go offline or act maliciously.
