The Graph is a decentralized protocol for indexing and querying data from blockchain networks. It uses APIs (application programming interfaces) known as subgraphs to index data on the blockchain and make it efficient to query.
Decentralized applications (dApps) running on blockchains use complex smart contracts to store data on-chain. Beyond the basic data, the remaining information is complicated to read directly from the blockchain.
These APIs, called subgraphs, can work on public blockchains by organizing data, transforming them to index them, making them easily accessible for network users, and sharing them with dApps that query this data quickly. It eliminates the need for crypto projects to develop and maintain their proprietary indexing servers, reducing significant complexity and cost.
GRT is the native token of The Graph ecosystem and is an ERC-20 token designed on the Ethereum blockchain. The utility token is used to allocate resources in The Graph’s decentralized network and serves as the native currency of the ecosystem to ensure the economic security of the ecosystem. Network participants can also stake it to contribute to the functioning of The Graph protocol and be earned as a reward in return for their contributions.
