Data storage is a hot item in the crypto sector. Arweave and Filecoin are leaders in this crypto corner. However, Mysten Labs, the team behind Sui, is launching Walrus. This is also a decentralized storage network. It will accommodate Sui’s unique storage options. But that’s not all, it also welcomes all other chains. Walrus is now in its testnet. This also opens up the opportunity for a potential airdrop.
So, what’s cooking with Walrus? We take a closer look at it, and dive into the details of a potential airdrop.
What Is Walrus?
Walrus is a decentralized storage network. Mysten Labs themselves are behind this project. That’s the same team that’s behind the Sui Network. The network will also have its own token, $WAL. You can expect its mainnet during Q1 2025.
After a successful Devnet, Walrus’ public Testnet is now live!
The Testnet launch includes:
API endpoints that support deletable blobs for better data management
A dedicated explorer, built by @staketab, enabling quick and comprehensive data search
A full… pic.twitter.com/EQjt7Z3Rmm
— Walrus (@WalrusProtocol) October 17, 2024
The main reason for developing this new storage option is simple. Sui’s current data replication model is inefficient. In Sui’s current setup, all validators must duplicate their complete dataset. Sui currently has around 100 nodes. On the other hand, Walrus provides a 4 to 5 replication factor. As a result, it offers reduced storage costs.
Unlike most blockchains which store data as records, Sui and its version of Move language store data as objects. This takes up more space as mentioned above but has other advantages built in, especially for NFT use cases. Walrus will help make fast data access and availability easier on Sui.
One of the things Walrus can handle is ‘blobs’ in a fast and efficient way. Blobs (Binary Large Objects) are like unstructured data. They originated from Ethereum to improve its scalability and efficiency. It was part of Ethereum’s Dencun upgrade earlier this year. In this context, think of data files like video, images, and audio stored as blobs. It splits files up into smaller parts by using the ‘Red Stuff’ method. This spreads them out over various nodes. The picture below shows its architecture.
Source: Walrus website
During the testnet, you can also delete blobs. Furthermore, we see the introduction of the $WAL testnet token. The testnet launches with 25 community-operated storage nodes. More nodes will follow soon.
Akord and Decrypt are among the first users of Walrus. Akord is an app, API, SDK and CLI enabling permanent data storage. It’s moving all its data from Arweave to Sui’s Walrus. Read more about the reasons behind their move in their blog. Decrypt is a Web3 media outlet. They are migrating their entire content library to Walrus.
Now, since there’s a testnet, that also means there’s an airdrop opportunity. So, let’s dive into how you can use the testnet.
Walrus testnet is here, and offers new programmable storage features thanks to using Sui as a control plane:
– You can buy storage for X epochs, and then top up later. This is more flexible and capital efficient–even if you you want to store something forever, you can (e.g.)… https://t.co/pgYhewSAZF
— Sam Blackshear (@b1ackd0g) October 17, 2024
How to Use the Walrus Testnet
Here are some ideas on how to use the Walrus testnet. There’s a high probability that by taking part in the testnet tasks, you can qualify for the $WAL airdrop. So, here we go.
Staking $WAL
Get a Sui-compatible wallet. Our recommendation is the Sui Wallet. This is the wallet developed by Mysten Labs. Once you set up your wallet, go to the testnet in networks. You can find that in the settings of your wallet. In Sui Wallet, it’s the little wheel in the top right corner. Set up a main and a burner wallet. For these testnet tasks, it’s recommended that you use your burner wallet.
Now it’s time to get $SUI testnet tokens. Be aware that these have no real-life value, they’re only for use during testnet phases. There are two ways of getting $SUI testnet tokens,
A — Use this faucet.
B — Join the Sui Discord [https://discord.gg/sui] and go to the testnet faucet. Enter ‘!faucet’ followed by a space and your wallet address. Both options are time-gated, around every two hours you can request new tokens.
Once you have the Sui tokens, swap them to $WAL testnet tokens and stake them on their staking site. This is also where you can swap $SUI to $WAL. After the swap, choose a validator and stake your $WAL. We recommend staking with Mysten Labs. See the video below.
Source: X
Upload a Blob
You can also upload your own blobs. These can be pictures, files, or videos. So,
Go to their publishing site and click upload.
Upload a file and click ‘upload’.
Now you uploaded and stored your file in a decentralized way.
See the picture below.
Walrus Blob page
Use the Walrus Explorer to Find Your Blobs
So, now that you published your blob, you can also find it on the explorer. This is how to do it.
Go to the Walrus explorer.
Copy the Blob ID from the picture above.
Paste this address into the search box of the explorer.
Click on the line with your Blob ID and the stored blob will show up. See the picture below.
Walrus explorer
Mint a Flatland NFT
Flatland is a demo NFT project to showcase Walrus Sites. It’s an imaginary world where Flatlanders live. These are 2D inhabitants. They are NFTs and have different colors and number of sides. See the picture below.
My Sui Wallet
So, go to the Flatlander site, connect your wallet, and mint the NFT. What makes them special is that each NFT is unique. They all have different colors and number of sides. You can see them in your wallet, as pictured above, or in the explorer. See the picture below.
Walrus explorer
Each NFT also has a unique site that’s hosted on Sui. However, when I clicked on the link, the page didn’t load. Nonetheless, it doesn’t need a gateway, instead, it loads straight from Walrus. See the picture below, that’s what you see after you mint a Flatlander. Check the ‘View the Flatlander site’!.
Source: Flatlanders page
There are more tasks you can complete. For example, view the last 100 storage events in the storage plot. Other tasks are for developers. So, check out their website and find more tasks.
Conclusion
Mysten Labs, the team behind Sui, introduces Walrus, a decentralized storage network. It offers more efficient storage at reduced costs. Not only for Sui, but for every blockchain project. Its testnet is now live, with the introduction of the $WAL token (testnet version). This is a great opportunity to explore Walrus and qualify for a potential airdrop.
Disclaimer
The information discussed by Altcoin Buzz is not financial advice. This is for educational, entertainment and informational purposes only. Any information or strategies are thoughts and opinions relevant to accepted levels of risk tolerance of the writer/reviewers, and their risk tolerance may be different from yours.
We are not responsible for any losses that you may incur as a result of any investments directly or indirectly related to the information provided. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are high-risk investments, so please do your due diligence.
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This articles is written by : Fady Askharoun Samy Askharoun
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