Data Assetization: Unlocking the Data Value in the Web3 World

In today's digital age, data is hailed as the "new oil." However, most people are merely spectators of this data revolution, unable to truly own and monetize their data assets. Despite the fact that we create content online every day, provide behavioral data, and even supply training materials for AI models, very few people actually reap tangible rewards from it.

Currently, 95% of the global AI training data is controlled by a few tech giants, who possess the most comprehensive "data asset pools" and are using these "data walls" to define how the world operates. Meanwhile, the data infrastructure construction in the Web3 world is still in its infancy. The cost of storing each GB of data on Ethereum can reach up to $900,000, while some Rollup projects often need to spend millions of dollars for temporary off-chain data storage.

This economy with an annual output value of 30 trillion US dollars lacks a dedicated "operating system". The more fundamental question is: what kind of data is truly valuable? Is it the static accumulation of files, or is it data assets that can be read, authorized, invoked, and traded? The answer is gradually becoming clear. The competition of the future will no longer be "who can store more data", but rather "who can better utilize data and unlock its value".

Data Usage Rights and Monetization: An Underestimated Trillion-Dollar Market

In Web3, although there is an advocacy for "user ownership" and "decentralization", there is almost a blank slate when it comes to truly usable, controllable, and monetizable infrastructure in terms of data. On-chain assets can be traded, combined, and incentivized, but data remains in a "siloed" state, unable to flow effectively and generate revenue.

The following issues mainly exist:

1. Developers find it difficult to put large amounts of data on the blockchain at a reasonable cost, especially since the cost of large-scale data is extremely high under the current infrastructure, making it unsustainable for daily use or commercial implementation.

2. Even if the data is successfully on the chain, it is still difficult to efficiently call and combine it, resulting in high latency and weak interfaces, which keeps the "data usage" cost relatively high.

3. The lack of standardized data authorization and charging mechanisms prevents content creators or platform providers from establishing a credible "data commodity" trading model, making it impossible to truly "sell" a piece of data.

The separation of storage and computation means that centralized tools or off-chain logic still need to be relied upon when using data, making the Web3 data experience incomplete. These structural issues directly lead to the difficulty of implementing the concept of "data as an asset." We often say "empower data," but once it involves specific actions such as authorization, invocation, and transactions, it becomes clear that there is a lack of a truly capable on-chain platform to support these needs.

Redefining the Role of On-Chain Data

The emergence of certain new projects aims to address these core contradictions. They are not just providing "cheaper storage", but rather redefining the role of data on the chain from the perspective of being programmable, executable, and incentivized. The goal is to transform data from being passive stored files into "on-chain native assets" that possess rules, value, and behavioral capabilities.

The core logic of this new type of data infrastructure is not simply to store data, but to unlock the value of data. Their design philosophy includes:

1. Significantly reduce storage costs, suitable for large-scale application scenarios.

2. Provide real-time data reading capabilities to significantly enhance the developer experience.

3. EVM-compatible smart contract layer, lowering the development threshold.

4. Adopting a multi-ledger architecture makes data management more flexible.

5. Introduce programmable data and contract enforcement mechanisms to give data real "vitality".

This new type of platform is no longer a "decentralized storage protocol" in the traditional sense, but rather an infrastructure aimed at the future data economy. It integrates storage, usage, trading, and execution into one, creating a complete closed loop for data from generation to circulation to monetization.

Data Infrastructure: The New Core Battleground

With the rapid development of AI, large models, and content creation, "data," the most fundamental yet strategically valuable resource, is once again becoming the "hard currency" in the consensus of the industry. In the context of Web3, data is not just an information record, but also the raw material for a series of core mechanisms such as smart contract execution, AI model training, identity mapping, and content verification. Data infrastructure is no longer a marginal role, but is moving towards the core of the industry.

A series of recent events reflects this trend:

• Multiple projects secured significant financing, focusing on solving issues such as data availability and IP on-chain protocols.
• The temporary data storage space of Ethereum is under capacity pressure, indicating that mainstream Layer 1 can no longer bear the growing demands for data interaction.
• The number of copyright lawsuits related to AI has surged, with creators demanding compensation from platforms for the data that has been "used for training."
• Multiple Rollup solutions are trapped in scalability bottlenecks due to high temporary data storage costs.

These events point to the same reality: Web3 is entering a new stage of "data as a core asset," with an exponential growth in the demand for on-chain data that is "available, controllable, and convertible." However, we still lack a universal, stable data infrastructure that supports large-scale calls.

Conclusion: The Future of Data

Storage is just the starting point, not the endpoint. To truly unlock the value of data, a complete set of technologies and architectures surrounding "usage rights, incentive mechanisms, and contract control" is needed. The future data infrastructure will not only focus on "how to store," but also on solving the issue of "how to create value and output."

From content creators to AI model trainers, from decentralized social networks to on-chain computing platforms, any Web3 product that relies on data may need to consider this new type of data infrastructure. The future of data is not just about "putting it in," but rather "how to create value and output it." This process requires a chain specifically designed for this purpose.