Skip to main content

Storage deposits

In Gno.land, storage is a paid resource. To persist data in a realm (such as setting variables or storing objects), users must lock GNOT tokens as a storage deposit. This ensures efficient, accountable use of on-chain storage.

Storage costs are settled per message, and tokens are locked or refunded depending on the net change in data usage. Note: Gas fees are not refunded.

What is a Storage Deposit?​

A storage deposit is an amount of GNOT locked to pay for the storage space your data occupies on-chain. The system calculates and deducts this amount after each message (e.g., MsgCall, MsgRun, AddPkg).

Storing data → GNOT locked Deleting data → GNOT refunded

Purpose​

  • Paying for persistent storage: Storing objects or primitives in realms costs GNOT.
  • Encouraging cleanup: Users can reclaim deposits by deleting data which is not used/needed.
  • Flexibility: Realm developers can design their own cleanup or reward logic.

Storage Settlement Flow​

Below is an example of how the storage fee settlement flow works:

  1. Start with a message call (e.g. AddPkg)
  2. Specify optional -max-deposit to limit the GNOT that can be locked for storage.
  3. The storage delta is calculated by the GnoVM (how much it grew or shrunk).
  4. The system locks or refunds GNOT accordingly.

Anyone Can Free Storage​

Because deposits are tracked per realm (not per user), anyone can remove data. This can create a “cleanup reward” scenario where the person who deletes data gains the released deposit. It also gives the realm developer flexibility to design and manage user storage.

Global Storage Price Parameter​

The storage price is a global parameter governed by the GovDAO. The default value is defined in gno.land/pkg/sdk/vm/params.go.

storagePriceDefault = "100ugnot" // cost per byte
// e.g., 1 GNOT per 10KB (≈ 1B GNOT = 10TB)

Tracking Storage​

You can inspect the current storage usage and deposit in a realm. See more usage examples.