Walrus is a decentralized storage and data availability network built for Web3 developers and organizations that need scalable, secure, and affordable data storage outside of traditional cloud providers. It delivers a specialized layer for storing and retrieving large files like images, videos, and datasets in a way that is both trustworthy and cost‑efficient, especially compared with older decentralized storage solutions.
One of Walrus’s key innovations is its use of erasure coding, a method that breaks data into encoded fragments and distributes them among many independent storage nodes. Instead of replicating whole files over and over, Walrus stores these fragments so that the original data can be reconstructed even if some nodes go offline. This design lowers redundancy overhead while maintaining high availability and resilience.
The network runs on the Sui blockchain, which acts as the coordination layer for tracking data availability and handling payments through smart contracts. Developers can reference stored content directly within their applications using Sui’s Move‑based environment, making integration seamless with dApps, Web3 sites, and decentralized services.
At the center of this ecosystem is the WAL token, the native unit used to pay for storage, stake with node operators, and participate in governance. WAL is designed to stabilize storage pricing in fiat terms and incentivize reliable node participation. Users prepurchase storage time in WAL, which is then distributed to storage providers and stakers as compensation, helping ensure that data remains accessible and secure over time.
