Walrus Protocol: A New Type of Decentralized Storage that Surpasses Existing Storage Solutions

Mysten Labs is preparing to launch the new Walrus protocol following the Sui network and DeepBook protocol. Although there are many protocols in the decentralized storage market, Walrus has attracted widespread attention due to its cost-effectiveness, security, and programmability. As one of the advanced decentralized storage projects, the future utility and value of Walrus are worth looking forward to.

The Unique Advantages of Walrus

Compared to existing storage solutions, Walrus has three major advantages:

1. Higher storage cost efficiency

Walrus uses Red-Stuff encoding, demonstrating lower costs than Arweave and Filecoin, with efficiency up to 100 times theirs. Walrus combines the advantages of Arweave and Filecoin through low replication costs and a low probability of data loss. As the network grows, Walrus effectively alleviates the burden on each node, making storage costs significantly more efficient.

2. Powerful programmability

Walrus enables programmable Decentralization storage through the Sui network, granting more functionality to stored data. For example, NFT images can be stored in Walrus, with their blob data objects created on the Sui network, thus addressing the traditional NFT "incomplete" issue. Smart contracts can also control the data stored in Walrus, enabling dynamic management of the data.

3. Flexible data access and deletion

Unlike existing storage protocols, Walrus allows users to discard or modify data as needed. This feature enhances Walrus's application potential in traditional enterprises and Web2 companies, increasing market expectations for its diversity.

The Synergistic Effect of Walrus and the Sui Network

Walrus does not decentralize attention on Sui, but rather enhances applications on Sui as a storage stack:

• Walrus achieves programmability for data by storing large-scale blob data and managing it through objectification on Sui, without directly storing it on Sui.
• The use of Walrus has increased the demand for SUI, creating a positive cycle.
• Walrus allows SUI to become a deflationary asset. As more data is stored through Walrus, more SUI will be permanently locked.

The Vast Prospects of Walrus

Walrus is not limited to the Sui ecosystem and may also serve as an alternative solution for other storage protocols and DA layers. Its efficiency, unique features, and solid network foundation give Walrus the potential to become a leading protocol in the storage domain. If Walrus can become the representative storage protocol of Web3 as envisioned by Mysten Labs, it is likely to surpass existing storage solutions and reshape the future of Decentralization storage.