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What is Walrus: A Detailed Guide

0xThanos
5 min readApr 3, 2025

What is Walrus?

Walrus is a decentralized storage platform built on the Sui blockchain, designed to efficiently handle large data files, commonly referred to as “blobs.” Developed by , the creators of , enables users to publish, deliver, and program data on-chain, offering a scalable and cost-effective solution for data storage. ​

The platform utilizes an innovative encoding algorithm called “Red Stuff,” which breaks data into smaller segments for efficient storage. This approach enhances data access speed, resilience, and scalability. Additionally, Walrus employs incentivized proofs of availability to ensure data integrity and reliability across its decentralized network. ​

Walrus is particularly suited for applications requiring the storage of large files, such as media for NFTs, AI datasets, and blockchain archives. Its integration with the Sui blockchain allows for seamless composability and security, making it a valuable tool for developers in the Web3 space. ​

The platform launched its mainnet on March 27, 2025, following a significant $140 million funding round led by investors like Franklin Templeton and a16z crypto. This financial backing underscores the confidence in Walrus’s potential to revolutionize decentralized data storage.

For those interested in participating in the Walrus ecosystem, the native token, $WAL, is used for various functions, including staking and governance. The project has also announced one of the largest airdrops in crypto history to engage the community and incentivize early adopters. ​

Overall, Walrus represents a significant advancement in decentralized storage solutions, offering a robust and programmable infrastructure for managing large-scale data on the blockchain.​

For a more in-depth understanding of Walrus and its implications within the Sui ecosystem, you might find the following video informative:

Walrus vs Traditional Storage

Walrus excels in decentralized ownership, security and composability which is ideal for Web3 apps, AI datasets, NFT media and anything else that requires tamper-proof storage. Now let’s see in detail how Walrus compares with traditional storage services.

Walrus Architecture Overview

The Walrus architecture is designed to provide scalable, secure, and decentralized storage directly integrated with the Sui blockchain. It works by breaking down large data files into smaller encoded chunks using a method called RedStuff, then distributing these chunks across a network of storage providers. Each file is registered on-chain through a unique Blob ID, enabling verifiability, access control, and programmability. This layered system — comprising user interaction, Walrus encoding logic, and decentralized storage — ensures high availability, immutability, and seamless integration with Web3 applications.

The User Layer

  • Action: User initiates a file upload via a CLI, API, or DApp.
  • Role: Users own and manage the content they upload. No intermediaries.

The Walrus Layer

  • RedStuff Encoder: Splits files into content chunks and encodes them for redundancy and security.
  • Blob Generator: Creates a unique identifier (Blob ID) for the encoded content.
  • Blockchain Anchor (Sui): Records the Blob ID and metadata on-chain for verification and composability.

Storage Providers (Nodes)

  • Data Availability Layer: Stores and serves encoded content.
  • Proof-of-Availability: Ensures nodes are holding data and are rewarded accordingly.
  • Retrieval Network: Users can fetch content using the Blob ID from decentralized providers.

Walrus Use cases and Integration Ideas

The infographic below highlights the diverse and transformative potential of decentralized storage in the Web3 era. From secure financial record keeping in DeFi to censorship-resistant web hosting and user-empowered identity management, Walrus unlocks a new layer of trust, transparency, and control for developers and organizations alike. This visual guide showcases eight forward-thinking applications that leverage Walrus to replace centralized bottlenecks with scalable, resilient, and user-owned data systems — underscoring Walrus’s role as a foundational pillar in the decentralized internet.

Who is Building on Walrus?

Several innovative projects are leveraging the Walrus Protocol to enhance their decentralized applications. Here’s an overview of notable collaborations:​

1. Plume Network

  • Overview: Specializes in Real World Asset (RWA) tokenization.​
  • Integration: Utilizes Walrus for secure and scalable storage of tokenized assets.​
  • Benefits: Ensures data integrity and accessibility for asset-backed tokens.​
  • Source:

2. Itheum

  • Overview: A data tokenization platform.​
  • Integration: Partners with Walrus to offer decentralized storage for large media files.​
  • Benefits: Enhances scalability and cost-effectiveness in data management.​
  • Source:

3. Linera

  • Overview: Develops microchain technology for scalable Web3 applications.​
  • Integration: Incorporates Walrus to improve data storage and processing efficiency.​
  • Benefits: Facilitates faster and more secure decentralized applications.​
  • Source:

4. Talus AI

  • Overview: Focuses on AI agent development.​
  • Integration: Utilizes Walrus for seamless on-chain data storage and retrieval.​
  • Benefits: Empowers efficient deployment and scaling of AI agents.​
  • Source:

5. Pyth Network

  • Overview: Provides decentralized oracle services.​
  • Integration: Collaborates with Walrus to bring accurate and reliable token price feeds.​
  • Benefits: Enhances data accuracy and reliability for decentralized applications.​
  • Source:

Building on Walrus: A Step by Step Guide

Step 1: Prerequisites

  1. Basic knowledge of blockchain and Sui
  2. Familiarity with CLI tools and JSON APIs
  3. Install
  4. Install
  5. Install Node.js (for building Walrus sites)
  6. Install Git

Step 2: Setting Up the Environment

# Clone Walrus CLI
git clone http://github.com/MystenLabs/walrus.git
cd walrus
cargo build --release

Step 3: Obtain Test SUI tokens

Go to Sui Discord > use the #testnet-faucet channel.

Step 4: Interacting with Walrus (via CLI)

To publish a Blob run the following command:

walrus blob publish myfile.png

This command will have the following effects:

  • Chunks the file
  • Encodes with RedStuff
  • Publishes a hash on Sui
  • Returns a Blob ID

To retrieve the Blob run the following command:

walrus blob retrieve <BlobID> --output downloaded.png

Step 5: Create a Walrus Site (Decentralized Website)

To create a site stored on Walrus and retrievable via Blob ID use the following commands:

git clone http://github.com/MystenLabs/walrus-sites.git
cd walrus-sites/example-site
npm install
npm run build

# Deploy your decentralized site
walrus site publish ./dist

Step 6: Programming with Walrus: Smart Contract Example

You can write Move modules (Sui smart contracts) to interact with stored data.

module example::MediaLibrary {
    public fun store_media(user: address, blob_id: ID) {
        // Logic to associate user and blob_id on-chain
    }
}

Resources

  • Walrus Docs
  • Sui Developer Portal

What’s Next?

  • Join the Walrus Discord
  • Try deploying a sample dApp with Sui + Walrus integration
  • Explore $WAL token staking or participate in governance
  • Contribute to open-source projects on Walrus

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