One of the most important design decisions in Walrus is to treat storage as a process that is ongoing, not a one-time transaction. Data is not just stored and forgotten; it must continuously be 'maintained' through costs incurred over time. This approach feels simple, but its effects are significant on the health of the network.
Without a mechanism like this, the storage network will quickly become filled with dead data, files that are no longer used but still consume resources. Walrus indirectly forces users to filter their own data values. If the data is important, it is worth maintaining. If not, it will disappear on its own. This is not a bug, but a feature.
In this context, $WAL is not just a payment tool, but a coordination instrument. Storage nodes only receive rewards if they truly maintain data availability according to the rules. When nodes fail or behave poorly, there are economic consequences. This system ensures that trust is built not from reputation, but from measurable incentives and penalties.
Creating a Sui ecosystem, this model is important because it prevents the storage layer from becoming a weak point. Applications can grow without fear of the storage network collapsing under unreasonable loads. As long as the economy $WAL operates in balance, Walrus remains stable, even when data demand increases.
