Sui Network has emerged as one of the most talked-about Layer 1 blockchains in the Web3 space, backed by a team with deep roots in Meta’s Diem (formerly Libra) project. In a rare and insightful conversation, Evan Cheng — co-founder and driving technical force behind Sui — shares his bold vision for decentralized infrastructure, the limitations of existing ecosystems like Ethereum, and how Sui is redefining performance, security, and developer experience.
This deep dive explores the core innovations powering Sui, its differentiation from rivals like Aptos and Solana, and what it means for users, developers, and the future of trustless systems.
The Genesis of Sui: From Meta to Web3 Revolution
Evan Cheng’s journey into blockchain began at Meta, where he led engineering efforts for the now-discontinued Diem blockchain project. That experience didn’t just shape his technical approach — it fundamentally changed his perspective on what a scalable, secure, and user-friendly blockchain should look like.
“When I first looked at Ethereum,” Cheng admits, “I thought, ‘This can’t possibly work at scale.’ It has inherent bottlenecks — especially around state management and execution models.”
That skepticism wasn’t born out of negativity but from a systems engineer’s mindset: identify constraints, redesign from first principles, and build something better.
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Sui was built precisely to overcome these limitations. Instead of patching over legacy architectures, Sui starts fresh with an object-centric data model, enabling parallel transaction processing, instant finality, and significantly lower fees — even during peak load.
Sui Move: A Smarter Smart Contract Language
One of Sui’s standout features is its use of Move, a programming language originally developed for Diem. Unlike Solidity (used by Ethereum), Move is designed with safety and resource-oriented programming in mind.
Key Advantages of Sui Move:
- No re-entrancy attacks: By eliminating dynamic dispatch and enforcing strict ownership rules, Move prevents one of the most common smart contract vulnerabilities.
- Resource-first design: Digital assets are treated as real resources — they can’t be copied or accidentally destroyed.
- Formal verification support: Critical contracts can be mathematically proven secure before deployment.
This makes Sui particularly attractive for DeFi, gaming, and NFT platforms where asset integrity is non-negotiable.
Compare this to Ethereum’s Solidity-based ecosystem, where developers must constantly guard against known attack vectors. While tools and audits help, the underlying language allows dangerous patterns by default.
Sui flips that model: security is built-in, not bolted on.
How Sui Differs from Ethereum, Aptos, and Solana
With so many new Layer 1 blockchains entering the market, it's natural to ask: What makes Sui special?
| Feature | Sui | Ethereum | Aptos | Solana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Tables are not allowed per instructions — replaced with structured text) |
Let’s break it down without tables:
vs Ethereum
Ethereum remains the dominant smart contract platform, but its sequential execution model limits throughput. Even with Layer 2 rollups, base-layer congestion leads to high fees and slow confirmations.
Sui’s parallel execution engine processes independent transactions simultaneously — think thousands of transactions finalized in under a second. For applications requiring high-frequency interactions (like games or social platforms), this is transformative.
vs Aptos
Both Sui and Aptos evolved from the same Diem heritage and use the Move language. However, their architectural philosophies diverge sharply.
Aptos uses a blockchain-centric model with traditional account-based state management. Sui adopts an object-centric approach: every piece of data is a unique object with defined ownership and permissions.
This enables powerful capabilities:
- Off-chain storage without sacrificing verifiability
- Direct object transfers (no need for intermediary contracts)
- Fine-grained access control
In short: while Aptos optimizes within familiar paradigms, Sui rethinks the foundation.
vs Solana
Solana achieves high throughput via centralized validator assumptions and a tightly synchronized clock. While fast, this comes at the cost of decentralization and resilience during network stress.
Sui prioritizes decentralization and accessibility — anyone can run a full node on consumer hardware. Finality is achieved through a Byzantine Fault Tolerant (BFT) consensus called Narwhal & Tusk, which separates mempool management from consensus for greater efficiency.
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Is Sui the “Solana Killer”?
Labeling any new chain a “killer” oversimplifies a complex landscape. But Sui does address several pain points that have plagued other high-performance chains:
- Predictable low fees: No gas spikes during launches or NFT mints.
- True horizontal scalability: More nodes = more capacity.
- Native support for dynamic assets: Ideal for gaming and digital ownership.
Rather than replacing Solana outright, Sui offers an alternative path — one that emphasizes correctness, safety, and long-term sustainability over raw speed at all costs.
What Is Sui Focusing On Now?
Currently, the Sui Foundation and Mysten Labs are concentrating on three key areas:
- Developer Adoption: Expanding SDKs, documentation, and grants for builders.
- Ecosystem Growth: Incentivizing DeFi, NFTs, gaming, and social dApps.
- User Experience: Simplifying wallet onboarding and improving cross-platform compatibility.
Major protocols like Cetus (DEX), Scallop (lending), and Coo Finance (perps) are already live — showing strong early traction.
How Can You Participate in the Sui Ecosystem?
There are several ways to get involved:
1. Stake SUI Tokens
SUI holders can delegate tokens to validators and earn staking rewards — typically between 5%–8% APY. Staking helps secure the network and requires minimal technical knowledge.
2. Build on Sui
Developers can start building with:
- Sui Explorer for debugging
- Sui Wallet (browser extension)
- TypeScript/Python SDKs
The Move language has a learning curve, but comprehensive tutorials and community support make entry accessible.
3. Use dApps
From decentralized exchanges to play-to-earn games, dozens of applications are already active on mainnet.
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Evan Cheng’s Take on Taiwan’s Web3 Environment
During our discussion, Cheng expressed admiration for Taiwan’s crypto community.
“I really enjoy the environment here,” he said. “People are technically strong and less likely to cut corners or engage in dishonest practices.”
He sees potential for Taiwan to become a hub for serious blockchain innovation — especially in hardware integration, privacy-preserving tech, and cross-border fintech solutions.
When Will the Next Bull Market Arrive?
On the million-dollar question — When’s the next bull run? — Cheng remains focused on fundamentals.
“Markets come and go,” he notes. “What matters is whether we’re building something real. If we solve actual problems — scalability, usability, trustlessness — adoption will follow.”
His advice? Don’t chase cycles. Build, learn, and contribute to protocols that matter.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Is Sui more secure than Ethereum?
A: Sui offers different security guarantees. Its Move language prevents entire classes of bugs (like re-entrancy), and its consensus mechanism supports faster finality. However, Ethereum has a longer track record and larger audit community. Both are secure when used correctly.
Q: Can I stake SUI tokens easily?
A: Yes. Through official wallets like Sui Wallet or third-party platforms, staking takes just a few clicks. Rewards are distributed regularly in SUI.
Q: What makes Sui’s object model unique?
A: Unlike account-based chains (e.g., Ethereum), Sui treats every asset as an independent object with ownership metadata. This enables direct peer-to-peer transfers, parallel processing, and better composability.
Q: Is Sui decentralized enough?
A: Sui operates with over 100 validators globally and allows anyone to run a full node. While still evolving, its governance roadmap includes progressive decentralization through community participation.
Q: How does Sui handle smart contract upgrades?
A: Contracts can be upgraded only if explicitly designed for it by the original developer. This balances flexibility with user safety — users always know whether an asset they hold can be modified later.
Q: Does Sui support NFTs and DeFi?
A: Absolutely. NFTs are first-class citizens on Sui due to its object model. DeFi protocols are rapidly growing, with lending markets, DEXs, and derivatives platforms already live.
Final Thoughts: Building the Web3 Foundation
Sui Network isn’t just another high-speed blockchain — it represents a philosophical shift in how we design trustless systems. By rethinking data models, execution engines, and programming languages from the ground up, Evan Cheng and his team aim to create a platform that scales with adoption rather than breaking under it.
Whether you're a developer seeking safer tooling, an investor evaluating next-gen infrastructure, or simply curious about where Web3 is headed — Sui deserves attention.
As Cheng puts it: “We’re not here to replicate the past. We’re here to build what comes next.”
Core Keywords: Sui Network, Evan Cheng, blockchain scalability, Move language, decentralized applications, SUI staking, Web3 innovation, smart contract security