Recently, there has been a project gaining quite a bit of attention in the Sui ecosystem—Walrus Protocol. Many Web3 users are paying attention to the $WAL token. I personally experienced it and found that it truly addresses a real-world problem.

First, let's talk about the product logic. Walrus is a decentralized permanent data storage layer built on the Sui blockchain. Simply put, it's the Web3 version of a distributed storage system. Unlike centralized cloud providers that can delete your data at any time, this system stores data across distributed nodes. In theory, as long as the network operates, the data remains permanently accessible. Photos, documents, entire websites can be stored, and you truly own the data.

The economic model is quite interesting. The $WAL token acts as the network's fuel—users pay $WAL to store files, and node operators earn $WAL rewards by providing storage space. This token-driven design that meets real demand is much more solid than tokens without practical application scenarios.

I tried the storage process myself, and the entire operation was indeed fast. Connect your Sui wallet (supports most wallet solutions) → upload the file → the system automatically calculates the required $WAL and a small amount of $SUI for Gas fees → confirm payment → receive Content ID. It takes about five minutes.

Looking at the cost dimension, storing 1GB of data costs about a few dollars annually, which is cheaper than many centralized cloud services. More importantly, the money you spend not only buys storage space but also guarantees permanent data availability and ownership.

From the market demand perspective, this track is expanding. AI-generated content requires permanent storage, NFT projects need metadata permanence, and various DApps require reliable backend storage infrastructure. If Walrus can continue to optimize its cost structure and improve user experience, the potential for $WAL to capture value in this growing storage demand market is quite clear.