The Graph Foundation is the nonprofit entity supporting The Graph Protocol — a decentralized indexing protocol for reading and querying blockchain data using GraphQL, founded in 2018 by Yaniv Tal (CEO of Edge & Node), Jannis Pohlmann, and Brandon Ramirez. The Graph enables developers to query complex blockchain state — filtering, sorting, aggregating historical events — without running expensive archive nodes. Indexed data is organized into subgraphs (user-defined schemas), which are hosted by a decentralized network of Indexers who earn GRT (the native protocol token) for serving queries.
Background
Before The Graph, DeFi and NFT developers needing historical blockchain data had two options: run an archive node (expensive, slow to sync) or write custom indexing code and databases for every application. The Graph solved this by defining subgraphs — manifest files specifying what on-chain events to index and how to map them to a queryable GraphQL schema. Developers define the schema once; The Graph’s network indexes it and serves queries. Uniswap, Aave, Compound, and hundreds of other major protocols publish official subgraphs.
How The Graph Works
- Developer creates a subgraph manifest defining which contracts, events, and mappings to index
- Indexers (node operators staking GRT) index the subgraph from genesis block
- Curators signal GRT on high-quality subgraphs, directing indexer attention
- Delegators stake GRT to indexers they trust, sharing protocol rewards
- Consumers (DApps) pay GRT or use the free hosted service to query indexed data via GraphQL
GRT Token
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Token | GRT (ERC-20) |
| Use Case | Payment for queries; indexer staking; curation signaling; delegator rewards |
| Total Supply | ~10.8 billion GRT |
| Inflation | Yes — protocol inflation rewards indexers and delegators |
Edge & Node
The primary development company behind The Graph is Edge & Node (Yaniv Tal’s company), separate from but aligned with The Graph Foundation. Edge & Node builds the core protocol, developer tooling, and the Subgraph Studio (subgraph development IDE).
Hosted Service Sunset
The Graph originally offered a free Hosted Service for subgraph queries. The network sunsetted the hosted service in 2023, migrating all subgraphs to the decentralized network — where queries are paid with GRT or fiat-settled subscriptions.
Related Terms
Sources
- The Graph Website — protocol documentation.
- The Graph Foundation — grants and governance.