Imagine two architects building castles on data, but with radically different blueprints. One (Irys) digs deep, forging every stone, gate, and chamber itself vertical integration incarnate. The other (Walrus) erects on a solid Suì foundation, layering storage like add‑ons thus adopting a modular, horizontal strategy. Both vie for dominance in on‑chain data storage, yet their paths diverge in surprising ways. Below, we peel back six layers architecture, economics, resilience, programmability, ...