Walrus and Irys: Two Paradigms of On-Chain Storage

Walrus and Irys represent two extremes of on-chain storage design. They adopt different approaches to solve the problem of reliable, incentivized on-chain data storage.

1. Protocol Architecture

Irys is a vertically integrated Layer 1 "data chain". It comes with a consensus mechanism, a staking model, and an execution virtual machine ( IrysVM ), which are closely integrated with the storage subsystem. Validator nodes are responsible for storing user data, executing smart contracts, and securing the network.

Walrus adopts a modular approach. Storage nodes operate off-chain, while Sui's high throughput L1 is responsible for handling ordering, payments, and metadata. When uploading data, Walrus shards and disperses it for storage, and then records on-chain objects on Sui.

2. Token Economics and Incentive Mechanisms

Irys uses a single token, IRYS, to drive the entire protocol stack. It is used to pay storage fees, execute gas, and reward miners. This unified asset simplifies the user experience, but it also means the risk interconnection of a single asset.

Walrus adopts a dual-token model: WAL is used for storage layer economics, and SUI is used for on-chain coordination. This separation makes the storage economy clearer but also brings the issue of incentive fragmentation.

3. Data Persistence and Redundancy Strategies

Walrus uses erasure coding technology to split data into multiple shards and add redundant parity shards. This method is space-efficient and has strong on-demand repair capabilities.

Irys adopts a more direct multi-replica mechanism, with each data partition fully stored by 10 miners. Although this strategy has a storage redundancy of up to 10 times, the logic is simple and clear.

4. Programmable Data and on-chain Computing

Irys natively supports smart contract calls for data. Contracts can directly read stored data without the need for oracles or off-chain intermediaries.

Walrus adopts a "verify before compute" model. Users need to submit data fragments and proofs, and only after the Sui contract verifies will it execute the subsequent logic. This method can be used immediately, but requires additional data retrieval and verification steps.

5. Storage Duration and Permanence

Walrus adopts a fixed-period leasing model. Users need to renew their fees regularly, otherwise their data may be deleted. This method is flexible but requires ongoing management.

Irys offers a "perpetual storage" option. After a one-time payment, the protocol promises long-term storage of data. This model has a high initial cost but provides a simple user experience.

6. Network Maturity and Usage

Walrus has reached production-level scale, with over 100 storage operators, 1.11PB of storage data, and has been adopted by multiple well-known projects.

Irys is still in the early stages, with a total storage capacity of about 199GB, and the miner system has not been fully enabled yet.

7. Future Outlook

Walrus and Irys represent two paradigms of on-chain storage design. The choice depends on the bottlenecks that developers are most concerned about: deep data computation integration or rapid deployment and capital efficiency. In the future, both may coexist in the ever-expanding on-chain data economy, serving different types of application scenarios.