Currently, there is a strange phenomenon in the storage sector—many projects are obsessed with parameter competitions and redundancy battles. Their technical solutions look impressive, but their commercial prospects are quite uncertain. Walrus’s approach is completely different: instead of competing in the overcrowded "cheap storage" market, it focuses intensely on two genuinely money-burning needs—AI and RWA—and integrates technology, compliance, and ecosystem into a truly viable business.

From a technical perspective, the RedStuff solution is not designed to showcase performance metrics. Its core goal is very practical—addressing the cost black hole and recovery challenges in high-frequency read/write scenarios for big data. With lower redundancy design and faster repair speeds, it directly reduces long-term storage costs and bandwidth expenses. For users who need frequent read/write access to training sets or proof of asset ownership, this is a real necessity. Coupled with deep cooperation with computing platforms, Walrus has built an integrated "storage + compute" service framework, which is especially attractive for decentralized AI applications.

In terms of business logic, Walrus plays more cleverly—it’s not just selling storage space. They break down their services into multiple revenue streams: AI scenario subscription fees, value-added services based on access frequency, profit sharing with computing power; on-chain review fees for RWA scenarios, ongoing storage fees, and staking service fees. Particularly, their joint efforts with compliance agencies and evaluators have significantly lowered the barriers for traditional assets to go on-chain, attracting many small and medium asset owners to test the waters.

Honestly, there are also several shortcomings. Currently, the revenue structure relies heavily on these two scenarios, with clients mainly being small and medium-sized institutions; node deployment coverage is insufficient, and cross-chain compatibility still needs improvement. A more realistic threat is that established storage networks and new entrants could copy the technology or address compliance gaps, gradually increasing competitive pressure.