Decentralized data management is one of the core promises of Web3, but so far, it hasn’t fully lived up to its potential. According to Rebecca Simmonds, head of The Walrus Foundation, many current storage solutions fall short—particularly when it comes to privacy and control. In most cases, data is stored publicly, and developers are left responsible for implementing their own encryption and access controls. This gap leaves users vulnerable and limits the full capabilities of decentralized technology.
Introducing Seal: Secure, Decentralized Secrets Management
To solve these problems, Walrus has introduced Seal, a decentralized secrets management service designed to give users full control over who can access their data—and under what conditions. Instead of relying on developers to build in encryption, Seal uses threshold encryption, a technique that splits decryption rights among multiple parties. This allows for highly secure, programmable access.
For creators, developers, and data-driven platforms, this is a game changer. For instance, artists can now ensure their music is distributed directly to fans without going through intermediaries, and receive payments instantly through smart contracts. AI developers can also take advantage of this system, offering limited-time or condition-based access to their models—for a fee. This opens up a new world of monetization opportunities in the Web3 ecosystem.
True Ownership with NFT-Based Storage
Another major innovation from Walrus is its approach to NFTs. Many current NFT systems suffer from “broken links,” where the actual content tied to a token is hosted off-chain or can be lost. Walrus avoids this problem by ensuring that content is truly owned and stored securely on-chain. This creates a more reliable and sustainable environment for digital ownership—especially for creators, collectors, and businesses that rely on the integrity of their digital assets.
Brands are already beginning to adopt Walrus for managing their digital content and customer data more securely and transparently. With Seal providing advanced control mechanisms and Walrus supporting true ownership through NFTs, the platform is shaping up to be a cornerstone of the next-generation blockchain ecosystem.
