Sui Business Development
What makes 2025-2026 the critical window to build on Sui—and what happens if you wait?
The Strategic Window
Sui's leadership frames 2025-2026 as the window to scale from strong technical base to mainstream, app-driven adoption. This maps directly to the 2027 thesis—roughly 2 years before AI + data enters a self-reinforcing loop.
The bet: Compounding network effects (devs, capital, users) make late entry structurally harder. Position now while you can still steer.
The Trust Stack
What does it mean to be "the most trusted, not the biggest"?
Five primitives define the trust infrastructure for the AI economy. Sui's architecture addresses each:
| Primitive | Question | Sui Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Data Sovereignty | Who controls your data? | Objects have explicit owners. You own your state. |
| Truth | How do you verify what happened? | Blockchain = immutable ledger of action → consequence |
| Identity | Who are you, and can you prove it? | zkLogin + SuiNS + on-chain reputation |
| Trust | Why should I believe you? | Cryptographic proof, not institutional intermediaries |
| Data Verticals | Where does ground truth come from? | DePIN sensors, industry-specific objects, verifiable attestations |
Data Sovereignty
What happens when you actually own your data—not just legally, but cryptographically?
Sui's object model makes this structural. Your assets, your credentials, your history are owned objects. Not entries in someone else's database. The platform can't arbitrarily revoke, modify, or monetize what you created.
The insight: Data sovereignty isn't a feature. It's the foundation that makes the other primitives possible.
Truth
How do you know something actually happened?
Blockchain is a ledger of consequences. Every transaction is a cryptographically signed record of INTENTION → ACTION → OUTCOME. The chain doesn't lie because it can't—immutability is the point.
ABCD Stack connection: This is the B (Blockchain) layer—providing the immutable proof that AI and agents need to learn from verified action → consequence data.
Identity
Who are you when institutions can't vouch for you?
| Layer | Sui Primitive | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Authentication | zkLogin | Web2 credentials → blockchain signing via ZKP |
| Naming | SuiNS | Human-readable addresses, discoverable identity |
| Reputation | On-chain history | Verifiable track record, slashable stake |
| Attribution | Object chains | Provenance, ownership history, creator links |
The insight: Identity in Web3 isn't about who you claim to be. It's about what you've verifiably done.
Trust
Why should anyone believe you without an intermediary?
Traditional trust: "I trust the bank because regulators watch them." Crypto trust: "I trust the math because I can verify it myself."
Sui's primitives—zkLogin, Seal encryption, Nautilus attestations—replace institutional trust with cryptographic proof. The trust isn't in Sui Labs. It's in the protocol.
Northstar alignment: "Not the biggest player. The most trusted." Trust is the moat that compounds.
Data Verticals
Where does the ground truth come from that feeds the AI economy?
| Vertical | Data Source | Sui Primitive | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| PropTech | Property sensors, valuations | PropertyNFT + Nautilus attestations | PropTech patterns |
| Gaming | Player actions, asset states | Dynamic NFTs + object model | Real-time multiplayer with on-chain state |
| DeFi | Trading, lending, liquidity | DeepBook CLOB + DeFi protocols | Institutional-grade financial infrastructure |
| Supply Chain | IoT sensors, logistics | DePIN integration | Verifiable provenance and tracking |
| Identity | Credentials, reputation | zkLogin + SuiLink | Portable, privacy-preserving identity |
2027 thesis connection: AI learns from action → consequence data. The quality of that data determines the quality of predictions. DePIN captures ground truth. Blockchain makes it immutable. Sui provides the coordination layer.
The data test: Is your data Clean, Fast, and Open?
| Property | Without Sui | With Sui |
|---|---|---|
| Clean | Vendor-controlled quality | Cryptographically verified at source |
| Fast | API rate limits, batch sync | ~390ms finality, real-time |
| Open | Proprietary formats, export friction | Object ownership, portable by default |
See Data Flow for the ABCD stack and Vertical RaaS for industry-specific patterns.
5Ps Analysis
How does Sui score as a platform for crypto-enabled business?
| P | Score | Evidence | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Principles | 4/5 | Safe, cheap, fast ownership; real usage over speculation | Connection to broader thesis |
| Performance | 5/5 | ~390ms finality, parallel execution, proven at scale | — |
| Protocols | 4/5 | Sui Move, PTBs, zkLogin, composable objects | Builder standards emerging |
| Platform | 5/5 | Full stack: L1 + Walrus + Seal + Nautilus | Extended stack is strong |
| Players | 3/5 | Strong leadership, growing builder ecosystem | Phygital adoption nascent |
Binding constraint: Players—specifically brands, end-users, and real-world integrators who turn technical capability into mainstream adoption.
Overall: 21/25
Principles
What truths guide Sui's positioning?
- Architecture wins where volume explodes — Horizontally scalable, object-centric design for high-frequency DeFi, gaming, and consumer apps
- Real usage over speculation — Prioritizing experiences that feel Web2-grade but are fully on-chain
- Empowering builders — Serious applications over speculative one-off projects
- Object-centric ownership — Properties ARE objects; this model maps to real-world assets naturally
The insight: What will be structurally hard or impossible to build on other chains that becomes trivial or superior on Sui by 2026?
Performance
How do you know it's working?
| Metric | Value | Implication |
|---|---|---|
| Finality | ~390ms | Real-time multiplayer, HFT-style DeFi possible |
| Throughput | Highest among major L1s | Scales linearly with hardware |
| Storage cost | >1000x cheaper than ETH | Frequent on-chain interactions affordable |
| Parallel execution | Object-level | No global state bottleneck |
Victory metrics for 2026: DAUs, on-chain volume, retention, protocol revenue. Back-solve from concrete conditions rather than vibes.
Protocols
What standardized recipes enable success?
- Sui Move patterns — Resource-oriented programming prevents common vulnerabilities
- Composable on-chain objects — Shared interfaces for DeFi, gaming assets, identity
- Development workflows — Testing, audits, upgrades with formal verification
- Walrus + Seal + Nautilus — Canonical pattern for confidential, verifiable applications
The standard: Winners will adopt clear workflows and community norms (open-source modules, common libraries) that compound ecosystem reliability and speed.
Platform
What do you control? What leverage does Sui provide?
Sui is positioned as a full stack for a new digital economy—not just blockspace:
| Layer | Component | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Compute | Nautilus | TEE execution + verifiable attestations |
| Privacy | Seal | IBE encryption + on-chain Move policies |
| Storage | Walrus | Decentralized blob storage, coordinated via Sui |
| Coordination | Sui Core | Objects, consensus, payments, identity |
The leverage: Infra, dev tools, and ecosystem capital (grants, co-marketing) reduce friction from idea to scaled deployment.
See Sui Ecosystem for the full extended stack.
Players
Who does the work? What coordination is required?
Leadership
| Role | Name | Background |
|---|---|---|
| CEO & Co-founder | Evan Cheng | Former Director of Engineering, Meta Diem |
| President | Kevin Boon | Scaling business operations and partnerships |
| Head of Global Capital Markets | Mustafa Al Niama | Former Head of Digital Assets Americas, Goldman Sachs |
| CTO | Sam Blackshear | Move language creator |
Signal: Ex-Goldman Sachs leadership for capital markets = institutional-grade ambition.
Interviews:
Builder Ecosystem
- Core protocol + infra engineers — Sui Labs, validators, tooling teams
- Application builders — DeFi, gaming, and consumer app founders using Sui's strengths
- Growth players — Marketers, community leaders, integrators, liquidity providers
Phygital Layer (The Gap)
Real-world partners (brands, game studios, financial institutions, creators) plus end-users whose behavior and feedback shape which Sui-native patterns gain dominance.
This is the binding constraint. Technical capability exists. Distribution and adoption are the bottleneck.
Community
Corporate Adoption
Adoption by incumbent industry leaders.
2025 Institutional Focus:
- Hiring ex-Goldman Sachs leadership for capital markets integration
- Tokenization and real-world asset (RWA) initiatives
- Sub-second finality targeting high-frequency trading infrastructure
- Enterprise-grade compliance and custody solutions
Tokenomics
| Feature | Mechanism |
|---|---|
| Storage Fund | Users pay for on-chain storage; validators compensated from this fund |
| Staking Rewards | PoS validator economics with slashing for bad behavior |
| Gas Fees | Low, predictable fees even under load due to parallel execution |
Solutions by Category
What are top projects of each major category that prove the vision and mission?
| Primitive | Protocols |
|---|---|
| Identity | zkLogin, SuiLink |
| DeFi | NAVI, Suilend, Kriya, DeepBook |
| Gaming | Xociety, The Walking Dead Lands |
| DEXs | FlowX, DeepBook (CLOB) |
| Lending | NAVI Protocol, Suilend |
| Storage | Walrus |
| Cross-chain | Rubic, Router Nitro, HeroSwap |
Identity
Zero Knowledge Proofs for seamless Web2-to-Web3 onboarding.
zkLogin: Enables users to sign in to crypto applications using Web2 credentials (Google, Apple, etc.) while maintaining privacy through zero-knowledge proofs. No seed phrases required.
SuiLink: Soulbound NFTs that verify ownership across different blockchain ecosystems.
DeFi
Building institutional-grade financial infrastructure:
Key DeFi projects on Sui:
- NAVI Protocol — Flagship lending/borrowing, zero-cost flash loans, institutional-grade
- Suilend — Money market with simple UX and low fees
- Kriya — 1-stop DeFi: AMM swaps, limit orders, vaults, perpetuals
- DeepBook — Native central limit order book (CLOB) for HFT-style trading
- FlowX — Ecosystem-focused DEX
Gaming
Sui's primary differentiation—built for real-time, high-interaction games:
SuiPlay0X1: Web3-native gaming handheld device targeting core and esports experiences.
Key gaming projects:
- Xociety — UE5 third-person shooter with PvP/PvE, confirmed for SuiPlay0X1
- The Walking Dead Lands — Third-person shooter based on TV IP
- BRICK POP — Arcade game where each run mints as an NFT
Why gaming on Sui?
- Dynamic NFTs — In-game items evolve with gameplay
- ~390ms finality — Real-time multiplayer possible
- Low fees — Frequent on-chain interactions affordable
- Object model — Fine-grained ownership and transfer policies
See Web3 Games Analysis for details.
Storage
Walrus: Decentralized storage network built on Sui serving as a data availability layer for various data types.
Actionable Insights
Based on the strategic analysis, five high-leverage moves for builders:
1. Choose One High-Conviction Vertical
Pick a single Sui-native vertical (high-frequency DeFi, gaming, or asset-heavy consumer apps) where Sui's parallelism and low fees are decisive. Ignore everything else.
Time/energy: 2-4 weeks research. Capital: Near-zero. Horizon: 12-24 months.
2. Build One "Sui-Only" UX Prototype
Design and ship a prototype whose UX is practically impossible or significantly worse on other L1s—thousands of micro-transactions, real-time stateful objects, complex asset logic.
Time/energy: 4-8 weeks intense build. Capital: Low 4-5 figures. Horizon: 6-18 months.
3. Co-locate with Core Teams
Get close to Sui's core devs, ecosystem funds, and top builders (Discord, GitHub, grants, hackathons). Position yourself as "the person who owns X problem on Sui."
Time/energy: 3-5 hours/week. Capital: Minimal + 1-2 events. Horizon: 6-24 months.
4. Pre-define Victory Metrics and Guardrails
Write a one-page "Sui 2026 scorecard": target DAUs, on-chain volume, retention, protocol revenue, and constraints (max burn, max dev hours before pivot/kill).
Time/energy: 1-2 deep work sessions. Capital: None. Horizon: 3-12 months.
5. Run a Barbell Strategy
One primary, high-conviction product bet in your chosen vertical. One low-cost, high-optionality experiment (tooling, analytics, infra services) that can pivot quickly.
Time/energy: 70-80% on core, 20-30% on experiments with strict time boxes. Horizon: 12-36 months.
Research & Predictions
See predictions and priorities
- Grayscale Research | Why Sui Stands Out
- Amina Group | Sui's Breakout Moment 2025
- Vertical AI Agents
- Request for Proposals
Context
Sui Stack:
Trust Stack:
- Data Flow — Clean, Fast, Open + ABCD stack
- Vertical RaaS — Industry-specific patterns
- DePIN — Physical infrastructure layer
Thesis: