The Irys Mainnet launch is imminent. Most people still associate @irys_xyz with decentralized storage. However, it's more than that: Irys is not selling storage, but creating a chain for "understanding and executing data."

Data is not only stored but can also be called.
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Filecoin: Focused on long-term archiving, with high retrieval latency, more like distributed cold storage.

Arweave: One-time payment for permanent storage, suitable for static content, but limited interactivity.

Walrus: A modular storage within the Sui ecosystem, relying on an external coordination layer, which increases latency.

Irys: A vertically integrated architecture that combines storage, execution, and consensus, with native data support for smart contract invocation.

The key difference is that other solutions address "storage", while Irys addresses "usage".

Cost Comparison
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For example: the cost of 100GB storage for 5 years

Irys: about $56
Traditional cloud services: about $1656
⚠️Cost difference: 30 times

The price advantage comes from the cost sharing of the Decentralization architecture.

Double Ledger
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You can imagine Irys as having two clearly defined "ledgers."

The first book is called Submit Ledger, and its function is like a front desk cashier: when a piece of data comes in, it quickly "prints a receipt". After confirming receipt, it queues up without delay, ensuring real-time performance. This step aims for both speed and stability.

The second book is called Publish Ledger, which functions like inventory storage: it officially "records and shelves" the content that has been confirmed, creating a permanent and traceable record. The emphasis here is on long-term reliability.

The benefit of having two sets of books working together is: both speed and certainty.

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@irys_xyz The significance of existence lies not only in making storage cheaper but more importantly in turning "data" into a production factor that can be directly orchestrated, billed, authorized, and executed. Compared to solutions like Filecoin, Arweave, and Walrus, each with its own strengths, Irys has aligned the execution path of applications with the lifeline of data on the same track: data is no longer just stored but can be called upon, accounted for, and governed at any time.