1. Why is decentralized storage so important to the future of Web3?
In the Web3 era, data is the lifeblood of the digital world. However, traditional centralized storage methods hide huge risks: hacker attacks, system downtime, and censorship may threaten user data security at any time. For example, in 2023, a well-known cloud storage platform lost user data due to server failure, which triggered widespread doubts about the reliability of centralized storage among users around the world. At the same time, the decentralized concept of Web3 provides a new solution for data storage.
Decentralized storage stores data on multiple nodes around the world through a distributed network, which not only improves the security and anti-censorship capabilities of data, but also achieves higher scalability and freedom. From the permanent storage of NFTs to the underlying support of decentralized applications, decentralized storage has become an indispensable cornerstone of the Web3 ecosystem. Currently, projects such as Filecoin, Arweave, Walrus, Iagon and AO are leading the development of this field with their own innovative technologies. Next, we will deeply analyze the technical characteristics, market performance and future potential of these leading projects.
2. Analysis of the five leading decentralized storage projects
1. Filecoin: The Web3 cornerstone of reliable storage
Project Introduction: Filecoin is a decentralized storage network where users can pay a fee to securely store data on a global peer-to-peer system. Since its launch in 2021, Filecoin has stored more than 1500 PiB of data, becoming a pioneer in the Web3 storage field.
Core advantages: Filecoin uses an encryption proof mechanism to ensure the integrity and reliability of data, which is particularly suitable for NFT storage, archival data and Web3 application scenarios. Flexible payment methods and $FIL token reward mechanism encourage storage providers to stay online and provide stable services.
Highlights to look forward to: The Filecoin ecosystem is expanding rapidly, and it is expected to be deeply integrated with DeFi and AI projects in 2025, further promoting its application scenarios in the Web3 ecosystem.
2. Arweave: The permaweb that never forgets
Project Introduction: Arweave provides a permanent storage solution where users only need to "pay once and save forever". Its core product, permaweb, ensures that data will never be lost. Currently, the Arweave Foundation has reserved more than 44,000 $AR tokens.
Core advantages: Arweave's data storage can last for more than 200 years, making it ideal for storing digital art, decentralized applications, and historical records. Its unique economic model ensures the reliability of long-term storage through foundation funds.
Highlights to look forward to: In 2025, Arweave is expected to further assist the expansion of dApps through AO (Arweave-based computing layer) and promote the popularization of decentralized applications.
3. Walrus: A new storage star in the sui ecosystem
Project Introduction: Walrus is a decentralized storage protocol based on Sui, focusing on publishing and transmitting big data such as videos and data sets to meet the diverse needs of Web3 applications.
Core advantages: Walrus makes full use of Sui's high speed and low cost, supports programmable data storage, and is very suitable for creators and developers to build on-chain applications, such as media dApps.
Highlights to look forward to: Currently, partners such as Plume are using Walrus. It is expected that in 2025, it will set off a wave of media dApps in the Sui ecosystem and become a hot project.
4. Iagon: AI-driven storage and computing market
Project Introduction: Iagon is committed to building a decentralized storage and computing resource market, optimizing resource allocation efficiency through AI technology, and providing users with innovative storage solutions.
Core advantages: Users can share idle storage through Iagon's Storage Node application and earn $IAG tokens. The platform supports cross-platform operations and focuses on privacy protection and compliance to meet enterprise-level needs.
Highlights to look forward to: Iagon's AI-driven model is expected to reshape the cloud computing market by 2025 and provide a new business model for decentralized storage and computing.
5. AO: The perfect combination of storage and computing
Project Introduction: AO is a decentralized project based on Arweave that combines permanent storage with scalable computing capabilities, and focuses on enabling the development of Web3 applications.
Core advantages: AO uses Arweave's permaweb to achieve permanent data storage, while providing powerful computing power to support scenarios such as dApp, DeFi, and games, solving the pain point of separation of storage and computing.
Highlights to look forward to: AO focuses on super-parallel computing technology and is expected to help the next wave of scalable dApps in 2025 and become the preferred infrastructure for Web3 developers.
3. Price Trend and Market Performance Analysis
1. Price trend since launch: the story behind the ups and downs
By observing the price trends of leading projects such as Filecoin and Arweave since their launch, we can find several interesting trends:
Filecoin: Since its launch in 2021, Filecoin prices have experienced an early surge, followed by a decline due to market adjustments and fluctuations in storage demand. However, with the expansion of the ecosystem (such as deep integration with IPFS), its price has gradually stabilized at a low level in 2024, and it may be a long time before it returns to the previous level. $FIL
Arweave: Arweave's $AR token performed well during the NFT boom (2021-2022), and its price once skyrocketed. With the increase of permaweb applications, its price stabilized after 2023. In 2024, due to AO expectations, it ushered in a wave of increases, and then fell all the way to a surprisingly low level.
Walrus, Iagon, AO: As newer projects, the price trends of Walrus, Iagon, and AO are more volatile. Walrus has performed well due to the popularity of the Solana ecosystem; Iagon and AO are still in the early stages of technology and ecosystem development, and their prices are more driven by market sentiment.
In general, the price trends of these projects are jointly influenced by technological progress, ecological cooperation and market sentiment. The early surge reflects the market's eager anticipation for decentralized storage, while the later adjustments remind us that the implementation of technology and applications is the key to long-term value.
2. Market rankings and trading data in the past week: Who is the leader?
Based on the latest data in April 2025, we analyzed the market ranking and transaction status of these projects:
Filecoin: Its market ranking is stable in the top 50, with a market value of approximately US$1.6 billion. Its trading volume increased by 10% in the past week, demonstrating stable investor confidence.
Arweave: Ranked lower than Filecoin at 127th, with a market cap of approximately $350 million and less volatile trading volume, reflecting its more mature market position.
Walrus: As a rising star in the Sui ecosystem, its market value has reached 580 million US dollars and its ranking has quickly risen to 91st. Its trading volume has surged by 30% in the past week, thanks to the overall popularity of the Sui ecosystem.
Iagon and AO: Both are ranked at the bottom and their trading volume has grown slowly, but Iagon has attracted attention due to its AI concept and its trading activity has increased.
Judging from the transaction data, Walrus has the most outstanding short-term performance, Filecoin and Arweave have shown stronger stability, while Iagon and AO still have a lot of room for growth.
4. Summary and Outlook: The future of decentralized storage is bright
As the cornerstone of the Web3 ecosystem, decentralized storage is changing our perception of data storage with its security and scalability. Filecoin has laid the market foundation with its reliability, Arweave has opened a new era of permaweb through permanent storage, Walrus has become a rising star in media storage with the help of Sui's speed, Iagon's AI-driven model has brought new possibilities to cloud computing, and AO has injected new impetus into the development of dApps through the combination of storage and computing.
Price trends and market performance show that these projects have their own advantages in terms of technology and ecological implementation. In the future, with the explosive growth of Web3 applications, the demand for decentralized storage will further increase. In 2025, we expect these projects to be deeply integrated in the fields of DeFi, AI and dApp, bringing more innovative applications to users.
Which decentralized storage project do you think is the best? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section!
