Sui (SUI) is a unique Layer 1 blockchain and smart contract platform that seeks to enhance digital asset ownership. Built on the Move programming language, Sui's object-centric model allows for parallel execution, sub-second finality, and rich on-chain assets. This platform strives to support a wide range of applications with faster speed at lower cost than other tokens, thanks to its horizontally scalable processing and storage. Sui was initially contributed to by Mysten Labs, founded by former executives and lead architects of Meta’s Novi Research.

Sui operates through a series of unique features such as horizontal scaling, composability, sparse replay, and on-chain storage. In the Sui network, each group of transactions is processed in parallel, eliminating the bottlenecking that occurs in some earlier blockchains. Sui's object-centric approach allows for more complex data structures and the ability to store assets inside such structures. Sparse replay means that game builders, for example, don't need to track transactions interacting with unrelated dApps, making querying on-chain data less expensive. Lastly, because assets are directly stored as objects on the Sui blockchain, they are never subject to Merkle tree indexing, making it cheaper to directly update assets on-chain.

Sui's unique features open up a wide range of potential use cases. Its object-centric model and on-chain storage capabilities make it a potential platform for creating and managing digital assets, including non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The ability to process transactions in parallel and achieve sub-second finality could make Sui a suitable platform for high-speed applications, such as gaming or financial services. Furthermore, Sui's use of the Move programming language allows developers to build user-friendly experiences, potentially expanding the reach of blockchain technology to new audiences.

Sui was initially contributed to by Mysten Labs, a team of former executives and lead architects from Meta’s Novi Research, responsible for the Diem blockchain and Move programming language. The team, including Evan Cheng, Adeniyi Abiodun, Sam Blackshear, George Danezis, and Kostas Chalkias, aimed to create a blockchain platform that seeks to enhance digital asset ownership. Sui's mainnet is planned for launch in the future. The platform has undergone several updates since its inception, including a switch to the Bullshark consensus algorithm in August 2022 to reduce latency issues and ensure that validators with lower processing speeds could still contribute to the project.