Solving The Problem of Accessing On-Chain Data
One advantage of open and decentralized protocols is that they are public: everyone can see what's happening on the networks. However, accessing and using this public data can be more complex than it appears. Today we have two options: going through all the history of the blockchain by yourself (e.g. running a full node), or querying a block explorer like Etherscan.
Option one is pretty resource consuming: it takes time, you need to store a copy of the entire blockchain, and to be connected at all times. Option two relies on a centralized third party, it isn't trustless.
Both options will also work differently for each blockchain and protocol, increasing a lot the complexity of having complete data in the cross-blockchain environment we see emerging today.
The Graph aims to solve that through a decentralized query protocol.
A Gentle Introduction to The Graph
The Graph is a decentralized indexing protocol for Web3. It enables querying blockchain data without being connected to a blockchain or having to rely on a centralized third party. In simpler terms, it's a decentralized API protocol for blockchains and their decentralized applications.
