A while ago, I was chatting with a friend, and he was complaining about how difficult it is to access high-quality data nowadays. It’s not a lack of money, but simply no source—short video platforms secretly use your browsing traces to feed their recommendation algorithms, e-commerce sites take your purchase records to optimize suggestions. But what about you? You see nothing. Want to package your data and sell it? That’s simply impossible.



This situation is quite ironic. Data is something we "produce" when we use it, yet in the end, it becomes the treasure of giant companies. Your chat content, consumption preferences, even the delivery address for that braised pork takeout—all are stored in centralized servers’ vaults. If a leak happens someday, you’re still the last to know from the news. There was a similar incident last year—an employee from a major company secretly sold user profile data, with hundreds of thousands of records being sold like cabbage. Privacy, in the black market of data, is basically a joke.

That day, I came across Walrus’s decentralized storage solution on Sui, and it’s quite innovative. It’s not just a simple "file on-chain" approach, but rather giving each piece of data a programmable permission box—where you set the rules yourself, such as who can access it, how long it can be used, whether it auto-destroys after use, or temporarily grants access for an AI training project, billing based on the number of calls.

To put it another way, it’s like running a data convenience store in your backyard. You decide what’s on the shelves, how to price it, and the operating hours. No need to worry about the platform’s attitude, nor about your data being misused.

This mechanism in the industry is called "Data Usability as an Asset." The benefit is clear—data is no longer a passive commodity but becomes a productive tool in your hands. You can profit from it and have absolute control over its destination. Compared to the current centralized data circulation system, this is indeed a fundamental change. Quite interesting.
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GasFeeGazervip
· 9h ago
Wow, someone finally clarified this issue. I've been fed up with being exploited for profits. The analogy of the data convenience store is brilliant; it really feels like Walrus's approach can succeed. Decentralized storage should have been popularized long ago. Don't let the giants casually resell our privacy anymore. This is exactly what Web3 should be doing, much more reliable than those projects shouting about financial freedom. The permission box design is pretty good; finally, we can control our own data. That black market data segment was really heartbreaking. Selling hundreds of thousands of records at bargain prices is so ironic. Actually, the key is to promote education. Most people don't even realize how badly they've been exploited. The recent plans in the Sui ecosystem are indeed interesting. Finally, there's something a bit different. Why does it feel easy to talk about but hard to implement? Whether it really gets used depends on adoption. If privacy isn't solved, no matter how awesome Web3 is, it's just serving a different master.
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NeverPresentvip
· 13h ago
I can't hold back the metaphor of the data convenience store anymore, haha. Finally, someone understands how I feel.
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GasBanditvip
· 01-10 23:49
Selling data? Sounds good, but on what grounds do giants say they can just take our data? --- Walrus really has something; finally, someone is seriously thinking about this. --- I like the analogy of a data convenience store; it's much more comfortable than those official statements. --- I'm just worried that in the end, some middleman will swoop in and hijack it. Even in decentralization, you have to watch out for people. --- Privacy black market jokes haha, that hits close to home. --- The concept of a permission box should have existed long ago; we've been giving it away for free all these years. --- But the problem is, will users actively manage their data? Most people are still too lazy to bother. --- The Sui ecosystem is up to something again; need to keep an eye on it.
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PanicSellervip
· 01-10 23:44
Damn, finally someone is talking about this. This is the kind of work Web3 should be doing. The analogy of a data convenience store is perfect — it's about preventing giants from freeloading. Walrus's setup is really impressive, and I love the programmable permission box. By the way, can this really be implemented, or is it just another PPT project? The Sui ecosystem is really pushing the envelope, much more reliable than some L1s. It was about time to bring data back into individuals' hands; it's a bit late now. Feels like describing the ultimate form of data autonomy. Centralized platforms are trembling... If this mechanism really becomes widespread, the internet landscape will be reshuffled.
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MevWhisperervip
· 01-10 23:41
Finally someone spoke about this. Data black markets being sold cheaply like cabbages is truly incredible. The Walrus permission box is indeed interesting, but the real question is, will anyone actually use it? Another Web3 savior narrative, the套路 is too familiar. The analogy of a data convenience store is good, but I worry it might just be an empty dream. Having control sounds great, but only if you can really control it. This is what decentralization should be about. Centralized giants are probably crying again. I just want to know if the costs and benefits can be balanced, don’t just shout slogans. The Sui ecosystem has indeed been showing some progress recently. It sounds good, but adoption rate is a real challenge. MEV optimization has turned into data optimization, which is interesting. It's high time to resist these big corporations. Let's see how long Walrus can survive.
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ExpectationFarmervip
· 01-10 23:37
Wow, someone finally explained this thoroughly. I've been fed up with the feeling of being cut for a long time. The analogy of the data convenience store is excellent; it really feels like what Web3 should be doing. But can Walrus's approach really take off, or is it just another round of hype and concept speculation? Speaking of which, if they can truly control data pricing themselves, how will those big companies do business... The Sui ecosystem is genuinely promising, more reliable than a bunch of copy-pasted L1s.
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Ramen_Until_Richvip
· 01-10 23:30
Damn, finally someone has explained this clearly. I'm fucking tired of being fed by this broken algorithm every day. The data convenience store analogy is brilliant—it's just the giants constantly fighting over our cash register rights. Walrus's setup really has some substance; the permission box is much more reliable than those fancy tricks in blockchain. Finally able to shake off the platform daddy, this is true programmable privacy. You're right, the black market for data is even more ruthless than pyramid schemes. We must take control ourselves. To expand this model, the internet landscape must be completely rewritten. Used to get data for free, now we set the price ourselves—just thinking about it feels great. By the way, the Sui ecosystem has been quite active lately, pretty interesting.
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GweiTooHighvip
· 01-10 23:29
Ironically, we are the true data producers, yet we are being completely consumed by algorithms. The logic of the Walrus permission box is indeed brilliant; the data convenience store analogy really hits the mark. This is what Web3 should be doing—forget all those flashy tricks. If it can really be implemented, it would be revolutionary, but ultimately it depends on whether users are willing to use it. Someone should have broken the monopoly of the giants long ago; it's been too frustrating. The Sui ecosystem has been showing some potential recently; stay tuned. The part about the privacy black market was written too harshly; reality is just so surreal. Centralization should have ended long ago; data ownership should return to individuals. So when will Walrus truly be used on a large scale? Talking about it won't do any good.
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