2026-01-07 16:22:04

Market consolidation periods are often the most testing times. Most people during this phase tend to trade the same set of volatile assets repeatedly, making it hard to seize opportunities. But in fact, this is the golden window to focus and do your homework—because truly profitable players are not followers.

Today, I want to discuss a fundamentally underestimated infrastructure project in the Sui ecosystem: Walrus(WAL). Don’t get tired of hearing "storage" just because it’s a common term. By 2026, in this era of data explosion, a truly decentralized storage solution could become a foundational pillar of the Web3 world.

**What exactly is Walrus doing?**

Simply put, while blockchain can keep records, storing large files (videos, game data, NFT assets) is slow and expensive. Traditional cloud service providers control centralized nodes, and your data’s fate is entirely up to them—delete it if they want, ban it if they choose.

Walrus’s approach is the opposite. It builds a decentralized storage network on the high-performance Sui chain. Its core technology is called "erasure coding"—breaking your files into fragments, encrypting them, and dispersing them across thousands of independent nodes worldwide. What are the benefits? Even if hackers obtain data fragments, they cannot reconstruct the original data. Since the platform has no central servers, it cannot delete any content. Costs are also much lower due to higher efficiency.

Essentially, Walrus aims to return true ownership of data to users.

**Why is this project worth paying attention to?**

First, it is a native infrastructure within the Sui ecosystem. Sui itself is known for high performance and low costs, and Walrus, as the storage layer within the ecosystem, naturally integrates well. Second, the storage sector in Web3 is still in its early stages, with huge market potential. Third, the demand for decentralized storage is real—needed by everything from game engines to NFT platforms.

Of course, the growth cycle of such infrastructure projects tends to be longer, requiring gradual integration into the ecosystem. But once network effects kick in, the profit logic becomes very clear.

SUI0.34%

WAL2.26%

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MidnightSeller

· 6h ago

Erasure coding sounds good, but honestly, integrating applications into the Sui ecosystem is the real key. Tired of storage projects, but the logic behind Walrus really makes sense now. The infrastructure cycle is indeed long... only projects that can survive until 2026 will succeed. Once again "undervalued," this term is flying everywhere now. Take it with a grain of salt. Data explosion is really coming; the key is who can catch this wave. Rather than studying erasure coding, it's better to see how many applications actually use it. Clear profit logic ≠ making money; don't overlook this difference. The high level of integration within the Sui ecosystem is true, but it needs time to be validated.

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CryptoMotivator

· 01-07 16:48

Is the Sui ecosystem being hyped again? Does WAL really have any room for imagination? Walrus sounds good, but with so many projects in the storage track, why would it be the one to succeed? Erasure coding technology is indeed impressive. I like the idea of data fragmentation and dispersal. Speaking of which, data explosion by 2026? It's already 2024 now, how long do we have to wait to see the benefits? Decentralized storage has been talked about too many times. The key still depends on whether the ecosystem applications are powerful enough. Sui is indeed fast, but whether WAL can truly integrate with major applications—that's the decisive factor, right? Underrated? I think it's more that the market hasn't reacted yet. Once big influencers promote it, it will surge. Long cycle times for such infrastructure projects are real; you need patience. NFT platforms need storage layers? Sounds reasonable, but the actual implementation is another matter. Erasure coding disperses files across storage; this is a good way to prevent censorship, I agree with that.

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GasFeeTears

· 01-07 16:44

Erasure coding sounds amazing, but how many real-world applications are actually using it? Wait, Walrus is building such a heavy infrastructure on Sui. Will it be overshadowed by other chains' storage solutions before 2026? Underestimating is truly underestimating, but many projects that are underestimated end up dying... But maybe this time is different? Storage demand is indeed real, but whether users are willing to pay is the real question. The erasure coding distributed node setup is really powerful. Compared to those centralized cloud service providers, it's much better. However, the ecosystem integration cycle is too long. Sui's ecosystem naturally fits, I agree. But how long will it take before network effects kick in?

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CryptoSourGrape

· 01-07 16:43

This is the kind of project I often miss out on. If I hadn't been chasing hot topics all the time back then, Walrus would probably have doubled by now... If I had known storage would be so lucrative, I wouldn't have been so thoroughly cut by Arweave and Filecoin in that round. Looks good, but I have to be honest, I have a psychological shadow over the words "infrastructure." What if I have to wait another three years... Erasure coding distributed storage sounds pretty hardcore, but I'm just worried it's another PPT project. Can we see real results by 2026? Will my bag last until then? Hahaha... The high integration within the Sui ecosystem sounds good, but who can guarantee that Sui itself won't drop the ball? If I had paid more attention to Walrus earlier, I feel like entering now is just the last step of doing homework, and in the end, I’ll still get cut.

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RektRecorder

· 01-07 16:35

Error correction codes sound impressive, but can application developers really use them... --- The Sui ecosystem indeed needs a storage layer, but I'm worried it will just become another abandoned infrastructure project. --- Wait, Walrus, are you trying to compete with Arweave or what? As long as the cost is low, that's fine. --- Damn, there are too few people doing research during the整理期, most are still chasing price swings. --- Infrastructure cycles are so long that you forget what you even bought, it's hilarious. --- Data ownership returning to users... I'm tired of hearing this talk. The key question is, who will actually use it? --- If there's really a breakout, it would have to be in 2026? So do I need to hold on that long next year?

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screenshot_gains

· 01-07 16:34

Walrus sounds good, but there are many projects like this in the Sui ecosystem. How many can really survive? Erasure coding technology has been around for a long time; the key is who can develop applications successfully. During the整理 period, it's clear that all in is the mindset... Infrastructure is always the last to make money. How long will it take? Data explosion is real, but will all storage demands really fall on Walrus? It seems overly optimistic. Let's observe first, no rush to push forward. Wait until the ecosystem applications really take off.

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