Last night was one of those nights where after working overtime, I just wanted to smash my computer. Finishing up at 1 a.m., I was about to shut down when I noticed that the data demo I wrote earlier this year was actually returning a 404.

That feeling of “I’ve totally wasted my time” hit me instantly.

Just as I was about to throw my cup, a friend sent over a short video: “Mainnet Loading 60%.”

I clicked to watch, and it was @irys_xyz — my mood immediately shifted from explosion to clarity: maybe I really should consider moving those things that might disappear to a more reliable place.

Recently, their official account posted a progress video titled “Datachain · Mainnet · Loading,” which many interpret as the mainnet approaching, with some even calling for it to go live next month (subject to official confirmation).

But more important than the timeline is the paradigm: Irys isn’t about “store and forget,” but about binding storage and execution on the same data chain, making data programmable — rules are attached right next to the data, enabling contract triggers, automation workflows, and feeding verifiable context to AI.

At the same time, they emphasize stable, predictable retrieval and fee structures, suitable for long-term reusable “data service interfaces,” which are essential for AI/DePIN scenarios.

Three points of judgment for the engineering team:
1) Data = Assets = Cash Flow: whoever can first implement the “data as contract” approach will secure a position;

2) The mainnet is at a turning point, and the greatest opportunities are for developers working on the tooling layer and strategy layer (indexing, billing, access control, data routing);

3) I plan to migrate some small projects over to Irys this weekend to test the waters — whether it succeeds or not, we’ll see.

But at least, next time a 404 happens, I won’t have a mental breakdown. The engineering team believes this is the kind of certainty that infrastructure should provide.