Often the biggest question when evaluating a new protocol is the quality of the team and backers, and in this case it doesn't get much better: with Mysten Labs itself behind the development of Walrus, they have access to everything they might need. Additionally, creating Walrus to leverage their own existing technology stack is smart; we've entered an age where developers are drawn to quick vaporware things like memecoins, so one way to guarantee your chain is used to the fullest extent is incubate projects yourself.

While we haven't seen Walrus operate on mainnet yet, they've already proven demand for their product with a slew of partners planning to migrate their data to the protocol, such as Tusky (formerly using Arweave) and Decrypt Media.

Blockchain Data Storage isn't necessarily a novel concept, however the same leaders have taken the lion's share of the market for years now. If Walrus can continue to onboard projects, companies and every day users we could see them seize a significant piece of the market. Mainnet is currently scheduled for March 2025 with a native token expected around then as well, so keep an eye on their development as we approach the launch.