Walrus can be understood as an affordable cloud storage solution within Web3. The entire system operates in a fully decentralized manner, with no centralized company backing it.

The core function is straightforward—help users store large files. Whether it's AI model training data, game resources, video content, image libraries, or NFT assets, they can all be stored. In the past, such needs either came with exorbitant costs (like Filecoin, Arweave prices) or required worrying about service providers deleting content or privacy leaks.

The cleverness of Walrus lies in its storage mechanism. Instead of replicating entire files multiple times across the network (which is wasteful), it first splits files into several fragments, keeping only a small amount of redundant backups. Even if most data is lost, the remaining fragments are sufficient for complete reconstruction. This logic directly cuts costs by over 80%, making the price surprisingly affordable.

More interestingly, the stored data is not static. With the smart contract capabilities on Sui, data can be activated and programmed—allowing AI to automatically process photo libraries, real-time color changes for game skins, setting up paid access to high-resolution versions, or restricting access to certain users. Storage itself transforms into a data production and operational infrastructure.

The WAL token plays a fueling role. Users need to spend WAL to upload files, and nodes need to stake WAL to participate in storage. The higher the network activity, the more WAL is consumed, and the tighter the supply becomes.

In summary, Walrus addresses a real pain point: where to store data in the Web3 ecosystem, how to do so affordably, and how to ensure security while maintaining practical application value. Considering the growth momentum of the Sui ecosystem and the popularity of AI gaming tracks, once this type of infrastructure project gains traction, the token performance may not be dull.