Looking at WAL's price increase, many people's first reaction is to slap their thigh and lament that they came too late. But have you ever thought about, besides watching the price chart, what more you can actually gain from this project as a user?

Today, let's look at it from a different perspective — not discussing advanced technology or distant prospects, but straightforwardly talking about if you believe in what this project is doing, besides holding tokens for appreciation, what other ways can you truly participate in the ecosystem.

**First way to participate: Become a resource provider for the network**

This method is often overlooked. The Walrus protocol's distributed storage network requires nodes to keep running, essentially meaning someone needs to provide storage resources. You can stake WAL to become a network node, providing storage support for the entire ecosystem.

What are the benefits? One is stable income — the network will continuously allocate WAL to you as rewards, which is more like a "resource rental fee," not as volatile as trading. Another is genuine integration into the ecosystem — your earnings are directly linked to network usage. The more users and the more frequent the use, the higher your "rent" becomes. This way, you shift from being an observer to an active participant who cares about the ecosystem's development.

**Second way to participate: Engage in ecosystem governance**

Another role of holding WAL is as a "decision-maker." The project's governance is open, and the community regularly votes on major ecosystem decisions — such as which new applications to support next with the ecosystem fund, or how to adjust protocol parameters. The tokens in your possession are your voting rights, allowing you to have a real impact on the project's development direction.