Sui handles state differently by using an object-based model instead of a global account-based ledger. On most chains (like Ethereum), state is tied to accounts and updated sequentially. On Sui, all assets and smart contract data are objects with unique IDs. Objects can be owned (independent, updated in parallel) or shared (requiring consensus).

On Sui, state is managed through independent objects instead of a single global state like Ethereum. Each object has its own ID, ownership, and type, which means transactions only touch the specific objects they reference. This design avoids global locks, makes reasoning about resource safety simpler, and allows the runtime to process unrelated transactions in parallel. For developers, this opens up new patterns like dynamic NFTs that evolve without needing global registries, or game assets that can be updated independently without bottlenecks. For example, if you mint two NFTs and update one, Sui only re-executes logic for that object, leaving the other untouched.

Here’s a simple Move illustration:

module game::item {
    use sui::object::{Self, UID};
    use sui::tx_context::TxContext;
    use sui::transfer;

    struct GameItem has key {
        id: UID,
        power: u64,
    }

    public entry fun mint(power: u64, ctx: &mut TxContext) {
        let item = GameItem { id: object::new(ctx), power };
        transfer::transfer(item, tx_context::sender(ctx));
    }

    public entry fun upgrade(item: &mut GameItem) {
        item.power = item.power + 10;
    }
}

Sui's state management fundamentally differs from traditional blockchains by implementing an object-centric approach rather than relying on global state management. This architectural choice creates significant advantages in terms of performance, scalability, and functionality.