Web3 is split up all over the place, and honestly, that holds everyone back. Data gets trapped in silos on different chains, so building smooth, cross-chain apps feels impossible. Walrus started on Sui, but now it’s spreading out across chains. That shift changes the game—it lets developers move big files around without worrying about which chain they’re on. By 2026, as these blockchain worlds start to overlap, Walrus shows up as the missing link, finally letting data flow freely between them.
So, how does it work? Walrus uses smart erasure coding to break files into shards, adding parity data, and spreads everything out across a bunch of nodes. Sui handles the early proof coordination, but the system plugs into Ethereum and Solana too. You don’t even need all the shards to put a file back together, which keeps things quick. And because nodes check availability with cross-chain oracles, the whole thing cuts down on lag.
The WAL token is what makes this possible. People use it to pay storage fees, no matter which network they’re on. Every time someone uses Walrus, a little bit of WAL gets burned, which ties its value to real activity. If you stake WAL, you help run the network and earn rewards. Governance isn’t stuck on one chain either—now proposals can come from anywhere, like adding new adapters. There’s a hard cap of five billion WAL, and as more people use the protocol across more chains, burns go up, which supports the token’s value.
Walrus keeps building bridges to other projects. It works with Pyth for pricing data, and with Nautilus for verified computing power. Big news in 2025: Walrus expanded to Solana and Ethereum, making itself way more useful. Now Sui’s fast speeds can power DeFi and AI apps that reach across all these chains.
Imagine you’re a developer trying to build a cross-chain AI oracle. You upload your dataset to Walrus through Sui and pay with WAL for permanent storage. The data shards spread out to nodes, and proofs get anchored on Ethereum. When your oracle needs the data, it fetches shards through adapters, reassembles them, and everyone involved in staking or storage gets their cut. WAL burns happen automatically as part of the fees. The result? Data’s always there, no matter which chain you’re on, and you don’t get stuck in some isolated silo.
By pushing hard into multi-chain, Walrus is tackling one of Web3’s biggest headaches—making storage actually work for hybrid apps. It’s flexible and built for where blockchains are clearly heading: more connected, more open.
Bottom line? Walrus stands out for its erasure coding, WAL’s utility in storage and governance (plus its burn model), and the way it brings everything together through real ecosystem bridges. By 2026, it’s set up to be the backbone for DeFi and AI storage that just works across chains.
So, what happens to data liquidity as Walrus grows across major chains? And what tweaks could make its oracles faster for real-time apps? That’s where things get interesting.
