Everyone who has been in the crypto world has experienced the same predicament: storage is usually disliked because it takes up space, but when a problem actually occurs, you wish you could just hit yourself.

Block synchronization stalls, making it impossible to move; checking historical records can take half a day; old data mysteriously ends up scattered across a group of nodes that no one cares about. By the time you realize, you often have no choice but to accept defeat.

The erasure coding combined with Walrus's WAL mechanism was created precisely to plug this big hole. Many people misunderstand and think this is useless effort. Wrong. The logic behind this system is—consider "storage will fail" as inevitable in advance, and prepare a contingency plan accordingly. This is what true foundational infrastructure thinking looks like.

**Initially, it all seemed beautiful**

When the new storage system was launched, data volume was small, nodes were enthusiastic, and incentives were plentiful. Everyone was happy to store multiple copies, and the dense list of nodes on the screen gave a strong sense of decentralization and security.

But these good days didn't last long. As data accumulated, incentives started to shrink, and what was once profitable turned into a money-losing business. Nodes didn't abandon the system; they simply couldn't make any money.

**The trap of copying data**

Storing multiple copies? That's just self-deception, not a long-term strategy.

When the scale is small, it’s barely manageable; as data grows, costs snowball. Just one more byte means all nodes must store an additional copy. In the end? Only a few large, wealthy nodes can bear the load, while others quietly drop out. On the surface, the system still runs, but trust has long since collapsed.

**How erasure coding breaks the deadlock**

Erasure coding works completely differently. Instead of relying on stacking copies for reliability, it fragments data into pieces and disperses them across nodes. As long as enough fragments remain alive, the entire system can operate normally. No node is absolutely irreplaceable, fundamentally avoiding the monopoly of a few nodes.

How important is this for Web3? In critical moments, you need on-chain data to prove balances and rights. But these emergency moments often occur during bear markets or when incentives are at their lowest. Erasure coding is designed to handle such extreme scenarios.

**Walrus’s restraint**

Walrus doesn't implement complicated logic; it focuses solely on data persistence. Because of this restraint and focus, it can truly rely on erasure coding and the WAL mechanism to withstand the test of time.

The true infrastructure of the crypto world is never the flourish during prosperity. Anyone can look reliable during boom times. The real test comes during periods of silence—when only those who can maintain trust and ensure data integrity and availability are the real infrastructure.

That’s why I am committed to the path of erasure coding and persistent reliability.