Walrus is a decentralized storage protocol designed for onchain applications that rely on large amounts of offchain data. This includes things like NFT metadata, images, application files, and user-generated content that cannot realistically be stored directly on a blockchain. While these data needs are often ignored early on, they become unavoidable once applications attract regular users.
In many cases, teams start with centralized storage because it’s fast and familiar. That choice works during testing, but once users expect their data to always be available, storage becomes part of the trust layer. If content disappears or becomes inaccessible, users don’t separate storage from the rest of the product. From their point of view, the application itself is unreliable.
Walrus is used by applications that reach this stage and need decentralized storage that aligns better with Web3 trust assumptions. It helps reduce reliance on single providers and supports long-term data availability. This matters because once a dApp is in regular use, storage failures are no longer technical inconveniences, they directly impact user confidence and retention.
