Shadow Cloud, a creation by GenesysGo, stands as a decentralized data storage network established on the Solana blockchain. It empowers users with the capacity to opt for either permanent or mutable storage solutions through the utilization of the $SHDW token.

Subsequently, I delved into the intricacies of Shadow Cloud and conducted an analysis encompassing the following parameters:

User Engagement and Activities

User Actions

Storage Capabilities and Drives

Starting in May 2022, Shadow Cloud managed to entice a user base of 7.2K individuals, collectively engaging in over 45K transactions. The most substantial surge in activities occurred in January 2023, coinciding with a peak in user numbers, which escalated to 1.3K.

Another noteworthy peak transpired in April 2023, with user numbers spiking to 1.8K. Subsequent to that period, however, the overall monthly user count experienced a decline, tapering off to below 500.

Commencing from May 2022, the count of generated drives remained below 1K. However, a few months later, a noticeable shift occurred. Post January 2023, there was a marked rise in the monthly aggregate of created drives, peaking at 2.3K within a single month. Initially, users were generating an average of 5.2 drives, yet this figure gradually declined, ultimately stabilizing at 1.1 drives per user.

In the initial stages, user activities commenced with a volume of 15K transactions within a single month. However, subsequent to that period, there was a decline in monthly transaction numbers, settling at approximately 1K-1.5K transactions per month.

The cumulative count of monthly users saw a notable surge in January 2023. Prior to that, the total monthly user figure remained below 200. However, post-January 2023, there was a substantial increase, reaching as high as 1.2K users in a single month.

Another notable peak emerged in April 2023, with the user count spiking to 1.7K. Following this period, the influx of new users subsided. Notably, Shadow welcomed 48 new users in the past 7 days.

Note: Transactions involving updates and burns have been excluded from the charts below, as these actions do not originate from users.

Furthermore, it's important to note that the data spans the last six months.

As evident from the visuals, the creation of accounts or drives consistently recorded the highest count of users and transactions throughout the given timeframe. Notably, approximately 50% of the total weekly transaction volume was attributed to the "create account" action. A comprehensive breakdown of actions over time, along with their cumulative totals, is depicted in the charts provided below.

SHDW Token

Similar to the transaction count, the peak utilization of SHDW tokens occurred in June 2022, reaching a zenith of 15K within a single month. Subsequent to this peak, token usage experienced a decline, tapering off to less than 5K per day. In summary, users collectively expended a total of 62K SHDW tokens.

In the following table and figures, it's important to note that deleted drives have not been excluded, and the data reflects the entirety of created drives since the inception of Shadow Cloud. Since that time, approximately 7.2K distinct users have contributed to the creation of 15K drives, resulting in an average of 2.2 drives per user. The initial allocation of reserved storage was 7GB per drive.

A comprehensive breakdown of the details and activities associated with the 15K created drives on Shadow Cloud is presented in the table provided below.

To sum up, the exploration of Shadow Cloud's data provides a comprehensive picture of its user dynamics and engagement patterns. Over the past six months, the platform has witnessed fluctuations in user numbers and activities, with notable peaks in January and April 2023. The creation of accounts and drives emerges as a dominant action, reflecting the platform's role as a decentralized data storage network catering to web3 projects.

The utilization of SHDW tokens mirrors user behaviors, with peaks in token usage aligning with periods of increased activity. Interestingly, the "create account (Drive)" action holds a significant share of total weekly transactions, underlining its importance in the overall ecosystem.

The drive creation process has shown consistent engagement from approximately 7.2K unique users, resulting in the establishment of 15K drives. This signifies a tangible impact on data storage and management within the Shadow Cloud network.

In conclusion, Shadow Cloud's journey reveals its effectiveness in providing decentralized data storage solutions, as indicated by user behaviors, token usage, and drive creation.

Note: Special thanks to Sajjadiii for helping with the Storage and Drive part.

SHDW Per Action (Last 180 Days)

Excluding transfer transactions, the predominant utilization of SHDW tokens over the past six months has been for storage acquisition or Account Initialization. Notably, the peak expenditure occurred in March 2023, peaking at 3.5K before declining to below 1K.

Presently, the prevailing cost for one GB stands at 0.25 SHDW on average.