How Baselight unlocked a new data economy

Baselight wanted to give customers the option of a decentralized data layer to avoid the tradeoffs, including a lack of control and dependence on a single entity, that come with centralized cloud providers. But that flexibility seemed to come at a cost: slow queries across different storage systems, inconsistent performance, and rising expenses when handling lots of small files like logs or AI outputs. As datasets grew and more users came onboard, these issues would only compound, making it harder to scale without sacrificing speed or reliability. The real challenge was finding decentralized infrastructure built to handle growth without falling apart.

Walrus empowered Baselight with the decentralized infrastructure it needed to scale without performance tradeoffs. In just two weeks, the team was able to integrate Walrus and offer users a data layer that handles both massive datasets and thousands of small files (logs, AI outputs, sensor data) without slowdowns. Walrus also unlocked features Baselight couldn't easily build before: programmable storage that enables automatic payments to data providers whenever their datasets get queried, and enforceable access controls that protect sensitive data. The result is a system that stays fast, flexible, and truly decentralized as it grows.