The Graph (GRT)
The Graph is a decentralized query protocol designed for indexing and organizing data from blockchains and storage networks. It offers a hosted service that deploys subgraphs for Web3 and DeFi applications built on a variety of chains, including Ethereum, IPFS, POA, Celo, Polygon, and Polkadot. In October 2020, prior to its mainnet launch, The Graph Foundation was established to support the ecosystem's diversity, with Eva Beylin as the director. The mainnet was launched on December 17, 2020, marking a significant milestone for the protocol.
History of The Graph
The concept of The Graph emerged in late 2017, spearheaded by Yaniv Tal, Jannis Pohlmann, and Brandon Ramirez, who previously collaborated on software development projects. In January 2019, The Graph began providing a hosted service with over 2,900 subgraphs for Web3 and DeFi apps. The foundation was established in 2020 to foster a vibrant ecosystem.
Expansion and development
Integrations
| Ticker | GRT |
| Category | Artificial Intelligence (AI) |
| Website | https://thegraph.com/ |
| @graphprotocol | |
| Telegram | graphprotocol |
| https://www.reddit.com/r/thegraph | |
| Contract Addresses | |
|---|---|
| ethereum | 0xc9...a7 Copied! |
| near-protocol | c9...arCopied! |
| polygon-pos | 0x5f...31Copied! |
| arbitrum-one | 0x96...c7Copied! |
| harmony-shard-0 | 0x00...ffCopied! |
| avalanche | 0x8a...b9Copied! |
| energi | 0x77...d5Copied! |
| sora | 0x00...55Copied! |
On February 18, 2021, The Graph expanded its support to include Polkadot, NEAR, Solana, and Celo Layer 1 blockchains, broadening opportunities for Web3 development. By October 2023, the ecosystem introduced the Upgrade Indexer to support network growth and enhance subgraph processes.
Migration of settlement layer
In June 2023, The Graph announced its migration of the settlement layer to Arbitrum for Ethereum. This transition aims to improve accessibility by reducing costs and increasing transaction speed. The migration involves three phases, ensuring a seamless transition.
Network participants and roles
Network participants
The Graph consists of four primary network participants: indexers, delegators, curators, and developers.
Indexers
Indexers are node operators who stake Graph Tokens (GRT) to provide indexing and query processing services. They earn query fees and rewards for their contributions.
Delegators
Delegators support the network by delegating their GRT to indexers, sharing in the query fees and rewards.
Curators
Curators signal on subgraphs that should be indexed by The Graph Network, earning rewards for their valuable input.
Developers
Developers create and query subgraphs to access blockchain data, paying for their queries in GRT.
Products and features
Graph Explorer
Launched in January 2019, Graph Explorer allows developers to discover and integrate data into their dApps. Its features include a playground for data discovery, logs, atomic updates, and a dashboard for managing subgraphs.
Subgraph Studio
Subgraph Studio enables users to build and publish subgraphs, test them, and manage API keys. It offers a user-friendly interface for creating and deploying subgraphs.
Hosted Service
The hosted service was phased out by the end of Q1 2023, with a structured plan to transition users to the decentralized network.
Graph Token (GRT)
GRT is an ERC-20 token on the Ethereum blockchain, utilized for allocating resources within The Graph Network. It supports indexers, curators, and delegators, allowing them to earn income based on their work and stake. The total GRT supply at the mainnet launch was 10 billion tokens, with new issuance beginning at 3% annually.
Funding and partnerships
Grants
The Graph Foundation has allocated significant funding to support ecosystem development. Notable grants include a $60 million Core Dev Grant to StreamingFast and various distributions to grantees for protocol R&D, tooling, and community growth.
Partners
The Graph is supported by numerous projects, including Framework, ParaFi Capital, DTC Capital, Multicoin, and Coinbase Ventures.
Team
The Graph Foundation team includes Eva Beylin as the director, along with key members like David Lutterkort, Jackson Blazensky, Yaniv Tal, Lucas Frommelt, Matt Schwinden, and Oliver Zerhusen.