"Decentralization"—this is the most dazzling label in the cryptocurrency world, carrying a thorough rebellion against traditional power structures. But reality is often much more complicated. Building a complex protocol system from scratch makes it almost impossible to bypass a stage: the moment of "centralization" led by the core team.

Walrus is a living example of this contradiction. It aims to become the decentralized data layer of the Sui ecosystem, but its development history has always been shrouded in the shadow of concentrated power. Looking at the founding team behind it, the astonishing scale of funding, and the intricate relationship with Sui's parent company Mysten Labs, all of these deserve careful scrutiny—not to blame anyone, but to clearly understand: how was the power initially born, how is it distributed, and how might it evolve? This game between ideals and reality is subtle but crucial.

**Team Background: Official Project or Independent Force?**

The brains behind Walrus are Mysten Labs—the founders and core technology team of the Sui public chain. This identity has marked Walrus as an "official product" from the very beginning, carrying a strong "strategic support" vibe.

Honestly, this relationship indeed brings advantages that other projects cannot match: top-tier technical collaboration, deep integration with Sui's underlying technology, and resource tilt from the entire ecosystem. Because of this, Walrus was able to quickly become the de facto standard for storage on Sui. But this close relationship also raises another question: Is Walrus merely a strategic extension of Sui, or is it a truly independent participant?