Two days ago, Coin Bureau published an in-depth article on Shelby, the latest project from Aptos Labs which will be focusing on decentralized storage to challenge the centralized cloud services available for consumers and users today. The following is a short summary of the article. For more, make sure to check out their entire piece which is about a 15 minute read.
https://coinbureau.com/analysis/what-is-shelby-crypto/
Shelby: Aptos & Jump Crypto’s Decentralized Hot Storage Solution
Shelby is an upcoming decentralized hot storage protocol by Aptos Labs and Jump Crypto, designed for fast, read-heavy data access without centralized cloud reliance. Unlike cold storage like Filecoin or Arweave, Shelby targets low-latency use cases: AI pipelines, video streaming, gaming, and real-time apps.
Key Features:
- High-Speed Access: Uses a dedicated fiber network, Clay erasure coding, and micropayment channels for sub-second reads.
- Monetization: Paid reads let data owners and node operators earn per access, ideal for AI data markets or content creators.
- Chain-Agnostic: Built on Aptos but plans support for Ethereum, Solana, and others.
- Resilience: Clay codes reduce replication costs while maintaining data integrity via cryptographic audits.
Why It Matters: Shelby aims to fix Web2 storage issues—centralized control, high costs, and slow performance—by offering programmable, censorship-resistant storage. It’s tailored for AI’s real-time data needs and Web3’s demand for composable, monetizable data.
Current Status:
- Still in development.
- Developer devnet planned for Q4 2025, public testnet likely in 2026, mainnet possibly 2026+.
- Whitepaper and vision deck exist.
Shelby’s vision is promising, blending Web2 speed with Web3 incentives. Shelby could redefine decentralized storage for dynamic, data-heavy applications.
Make sure to check out the full article on the Coin Bureau website and X account: