Walrus (WAL) Price Prediction

Deep Dive

1. Institutional Demand via Grayscale Trust (Mixed Impact)

Overview: Grayscale’s Walrus Trust (launched August 12, 2025) allows accredited investors to gain exposure without direct token ownership. This mirrors its earlier Sui Trust, which triggered a 44% SUI rally. However, the trust’s success hinges on SEC approval for secondary trading and broader institutional appetite for niche infrastructure tokens.

What this means: Short-term bullish sentiment from Grayscale’s brand recognition could counterbalance WAL’s -19.6% 90d price decline. Long-term, unproven demand for single-asset crypto trusts and regulatory ambiguity around Sui-based assets add uncertainty.

2. AI/DeFi Adoption vs. Storage Competition (Bullish)

Overview: Walrus has secured integrations with decentralized AI platforms (Swarm Network, FLock.io) and CDN provider Pipe Network, storing 4PB of data since mainnet. However, critics note its reliance on Sui and hybrid architecture contrasts with rivals like Irys, which offers full decentralization.

What this means: Real-world usage in high-growth sectors (AI, DePIN) could justify WAL’s $609M market cap. But failure to scale beyond 105 nodes or match Arweave/Filecoin’s resilience might limit upside.

3. Token Supply Dynamics (Neutral/Bearish)

Overview: 49.7% of WAL is staked, reducing sell pressure. Early contributors and VCs hold ~27% of supply (350M + 1B WAL) locked until 2026–2029. However, the Community Reserve (43% of total supply) begins linear unlocks in 2033, creating long-term inflation.

What this means: Near-term price stability is likely due to staking and vesting locks. Post-2026, unlocks could pressure prices unless adoption outpaces dilution.

Conclusion

WAL’s trajectory hinges on balancing Grayscale-driven liquidity, proving its AI/data storage moat, and managing token unlocks. While RSI (54.38) and MACD hint at neutral momentum, the 7d +8% price rise suggests cautious optimism. Can Walrus convert its Sui-centric partnerships into sustainable revenue before competitors erode its niche? Monitor quarterly storage growth and node count trends.