With Walrus Mainnet coming soon, engaged community members received an NFT entitling them to an allocation of WAL tokens upon launch. Recipients of this soulbound NFT will find a set amount of WAL wrapped in their NFT that can be claimed when Walrus moves to Mainnet.

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As a new decentralized storage network, Walrus allows any application to publish, read, and program any data type onchain. Independently operated nodes store uploaded unstructured data files, known as blobs, which may include PDFs, videos, and image files. The data stored and its storage capacity then become objects on Sui, allowing apps to program and manage the data with smart contracts. Data remains available even if up to two thirds of Walrus' nodes go down, ensuring resiliency and reliability of the network.

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The WAL token serves as the network's currency and the center of its tokenomics model. This model ensures a healthy balance between storage fees and node operator remuneration. The utility of WAL includes:

• Payment: Users pay for storage capacity on Walrus with WAL. User prices are fixed and prepaid so they don’t have to worry about fluctuations in the price of storage or the WAL token during the lifetime of their contract. 
• Security: Delegated staking of WAL tokens underpins Walrus’s security and lets users stake tokens to participate in the network’s security regardless of whether they operate storage services directly. A node operator’s stake from users also governs the assignment of data to that operator.
• Governance: Governance for Walrus adjusts the parameters in the system, and operates through the WAL token. Through this mechanism, node operators ensure they meet the standards necessary to maintain a healthy and resilient network.

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There will be a maximum supply of 5 billion tokens at Mainnet launch. 10 percent of the overall WAL supply will be reserved for direct distributions to the community, including 4% through this NFT distribution. This airdrop awards early participants who engaged with the Walrus and Sui ecosystems in meaningful ways. 

Follow Walrus on X and Discord for the latest updates about the airdrop.