We often talk about what Web3 has changed—some focus on the fluctuations of coin prices, others on trading NFT images—but the true revolution might be overlooked. Data ownership and reliability are the most easily forgotten yet most important aspects. Recently, a storage protocol project called Walrus has attracted considerable attention, not only because it secured $140 million in funding from top-tier institutions like a16z, but also because it demonstrated its value in a real-world incident.

**When applications die, where does the data go?**

In early 2026, the digital art platform Tusky announced its closure. In the traditional internet, users' works, collections, and historical data would essentially vanish. But Tusky is different—because its data layer is built on Walrus, users' assets can be fully migrated to other platforms and continue to be used. It may not sound particularly special, but this reflects a fundamental architectural difference: data and application front-end are completely separated, and ownership truly returns to the users.

This incident actually validates a core pain point—creators, artists, and even any DApp users need a permanent, reliable, censorship-resistant data layer that can be migrated at any time. This is not just a bonus; it is the last line of defense in digital life.

**The "storage backbone" of high-performance public chains**

Walrus also holds another strategic position—as the official storage solution for the Sui ecosystem. This high-performance public chain excels at handling high-concurrency scenarios, whether for AI inference or high-frequency DeFi transactions. But if all data is stored on-chain, efficiency would instantly collapse. Walrus’s existence precisely solves this contradiction: enabling applications to operate lightly while providing a place to store data.