When choosing a data archiving storage solution for a Web3 financial audit team, I encountered an interesting issue.

Their core requirement is quite practical: data must be stored on a decentralized network to ensure security and tamper resistance, but 99% of the time, the data is cold and idle, only needing quick retrieval during audits. This set of needs is roughly comparable to finding a decentralized version of AWS Glacier.

I’ve tested several options on the market. Filecoin’s retrieval speed is often less than ideal, especially since it involves an order matching process, making the time cost unacceptable. Later, I came across Walrus, and the experience was quite different.

Its logic is somewhat like re-implementing the convenience of centralized object storage S3 in a decentralized manner. Although it uses erasure coding for storage at the bottom layer, the real highlight is— even if only some data slices are available on the network, the system can quickly reconstruct the full file. This feature is highly significant for cold storage scenarios.

The most painful comparison is still cost. Traditional cloud providers charge a hefty fee for cold storage retrievals, but with Walrus, during data recovery and download, you don’t feel that “punitive” cost at all. In the long run, the cost pressure is significantly reduced. For enterprises that need to meet decentralized compliance requirements while also being budget-conscious, this solution offers excellent cost-effectiveness.