Walrus Foundation Secures $140M in Private Token Sale Ahead of Mainnet Launch
Staff Writer • 2025-03-20
Standard Crypto, a16z, and Franklin Templeton Back the Future of Programmable Storage The Walrus Foundation, the organization dedicated to advancing the Walrus protocol, has announced a $140 million private token sale, securing investment from Standard Crypto, a16z crypto, Electric Capital, Franklin Templeton Digital Assets, and several other major backers. The funding will be used to expand and maintain Walrus’ decentralized data storage protocol, furthering its mission to transform storage into an interactive, programmable resource. With this financial backing, Walrus is poised to accelerate adoption across industries that rely on secure and scalable data management solutions, particularly in AI, blockchain, and rich media applications. Mainnet Launch Unlocks New Use Cases for Onchain Data The announcement comes as Walrus prepares to launch its mainnet on March 27, marking a pivotal step in redefining how data is stored and utilized. The protocol will support a range of applications, including AI datasets, websites, rich media files, and blockchain history, turning traditional storage into an interactive and programmable resource. "This investment is a significant milestone to redefine decentralized storage," said Rebecca Simmonds, Managing Executive of Walrus Foundation. "By leveraging Sui’s unique architecture, we’re making storing data programmable, interactive, and secure. Walrus is uniquely positioned to capitalize on this growing market, and this funding will allow us to drive the adoption of programmable storage across industries as businesses search for flexible and verifiable data solutions." Walrus: A New Era for Decentralized Storage Originally developed by Mysten Labs, Walrus is built on the Sui blockchain, offering a decentralized platform that allows applications to publish, read, and program large data files. The protocol introduces “blobs”, which enable smart contract-driven storage and ensure data integrity throughout the entire storage lifecycle. Unlike traditional storage solutions, Walrus brings true programmability to onchain and offchain data, enabling: Dynamic data interactions Smart contract automation through Move Seamless integration of storage, availability, and compute Cost-efficient and scalable data management solutions With Sui’s high-performance infrastructure, Walrus enables developers to build data-driven applications that are secure, scalable, and highly efficient, addressing longstanding challenges in onchain storage, security, and interoperability. Investor Confidence in a Crypto-Native Storage Solution The $140 million raise is a vote of confidence from the blockchain industry’s most respected investors. Adam Goldberg, Managing Director and Co-Founder at Standard Crypto, emphasized Walrus' game-changing approach to decentralized storage. "Prior onchain storage attempts have struggled with scalability, flexibility, and security, limiting their adoption within a rapidly expanding set of use cases for both apps and infrastructure," Goldberg stated. "We believe, with Walrus, we finally have an internet-scale and crypto-native storage platform designed for the coming era of data-heavy blockchain adoption." Walrus’ backing by venture heavyweights like a16z, Franklin Templeton, and Electric Capital signals strong market confidence in the potential of programmable storage—a sector poised for explosive growth as AI, Web3, and blockchain applications demand more scalable and efficient data solutions. What’s Next for Walrus? With mainnet launch set for March 27, Walrus is entering a critical phase of adoption and deployment. The protocol is expected to attract developers, enterprises, and decentralized applications (dApps) seeking programmable and verifiable storage solutions. By combining decentralized infrastructure with smart contract automation, Walrus is redefining what’s possible for data storage on the blockchain—paving the way for a future where data is more than just stored; it’s programmable, interactive, and an integral part of the decentralized economy.
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