2026-01-08 03:24:18

When it comes to storage protocols, many people are still debating old faces like IPFS and Arweave. In fact, the core pain point that this project behind the WAL token aims to solve is different: it's not just about storing data, but making data truly valuable.

Breaking it down, on the storage layer, it supports Seal encryption technology to ensure security, with verifiable and monetizable data—users can sell their health data to AI models for profit, and enterprises can use it to build tamper-proof, leak-proof datasets. This logic aligns with traditional cloud storage but at a much lower cost. The official positioning of "Enabling Data Markets for the AI Era" captures the core demand.

WAL itself is designed quite cleverly. On the governance side, users can vote on protocol upgrades; on the incentive side, staking yields rewards; and the community reserve accounts for 43% to fund grants and hackathons to support projects. Even more impressive is that storage fees are stabilized at fiat currency prices, protecting users from price volatility. The fee portion is burned to achieve deflation, which is beneficial for long-term token holders.

In terms of progress, it has already launched on Ethereum and Solana in Q4 2025, with a relatively fast ecosystem integration. It has raised $140 million in funding, with a16z leading the investment, indicating the direction is sound. Pudgy Penguins uses it to store NFT data, Humanity Protocol stores identity verification information, and hundreds of projects are in the pipeline. The 2026 roadmap focuses on privacy upgrades and AI partner ecosystems, such as collaborating with Talus to build AI agents.

My view is that Web3 is shifting from transaction-centric to data-centric. AI training requires massive high-quality datasets, while centralized cloud services pose censorship risks and single points of failure. This protocol balances cost, usability, and programmability well. WAL does not rely on hype from the community but is driven by actual adoption—proof of which is the petabyte-scale storage of data. Data business is inherently a long-term game, emphasizing sustainability.

FIL0,47%

AR-0,15%

WAL5,72%

SEAL-3,91%

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GateUser-00be86fc

· 01-08 03:51

Data monetization is indeed a promising direction, more imaginative than the pure storage logic of IPFS. --- I have to give a thumbs up to the stable fiat storage fee, as I've been burned by various fluctuations too many times before. --- A16z leading the investment is still convincing, but the speed of ecosystem implementation is the key. --- With PB-level data volume, this is real gold and silver proof. --- Privacy upgrades and AI ecosystem roadmaps seem to be the right direction; it all depends on whether they can be delivered on time by 2026. --- Compared to hype, I care more about practical applications. This attitude is still worth looking forward to. --- Staking with rewards plus deflationary design makes long-term holding somewhat logical. --- Over a hundred projects are integrated, which sounds decent, but it depends on what level of projects they are. --- Using a big IP like Pudgy Penguins to store data shows it's not an air project. --- Low cost and tamper-proofing are indeed attractive to enterprises; this market demand is valid.

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OnchainSniper

· 01-08 03:50

Data monetization is indeed a pain point; previously, everyone was just focusing on storage itself and not really solving the problem of how to monetize data. The WAL approach is quite interesting; the stable fee strategy is brilliant and can help avoid the big pitfall of volatility. a16z has invested 140 million dollars, so they probably won't step into too deep a pit and are optimistic about ecosystem implementation. Genuine data is the core asset of the AI era; accumulating some is not a problem. Selling health data to AI training models? Privacy issues are still a bit uncertain...

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PumpingCroissant

· 01-08 03:50

Data monetization is indeed a new idea, but this model needs to be genuinely used by people. Selling health data for money? Oh my, just thinking about privacy risks gives me a headache. a16z is involved, which clearly indicates they see an opportunity, but that doesn't mean the coin price will soar. I have to admit, the stable fee aspect is quite clever, avoiding the pitfalls of fluctuating gas fees. Wait, is PB-level data storage real? Or just a marketing gimmick? The price fluctuation protection algorithm is a rare conscientious design in the coin space. Honestly, when comparing to cloud storage costs, it depends on actual adoption data; it's still too early to draw conclusions.

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