The Graph (GRT)

The indexing protocol of Web3. Google for blockchains.

What is The Graph?

The Graph is the indexing and query protocol that makes blockchain data usable. Raw blockchain data is like an unsorted library with millions of books — The Graph organizes it into searchable, queryable indexes called subgraphs. Without The Graph, every dApp would need to build its own data infrastructure from scratch.

Major protocols including Uniswap, Aave, Compound, and Synthetix rely on The Graph to serve their front-end applications. When you check your portfolio on a DeFi dashboard or browse NFTs on a marketplace, there is a good chance The Graph is powering the data behind the scenes.

GRT is used to pay for queries, and indexers (the people running the infrastructure) stake GRT to earn query fees. Curators stake GRT to signal which subgraphs are valuable, and delegators stake to indexers to share in their earnings.

How The Graph Works

Think of The Graph as the Google of blockchain. Blockchains produce a firehose of raw data, but applications need that data organized and searchable. The Graph lets developers create "subgraphs" — custom indexes that extract and organize specific data from the blockchain. When a DeFi app needs to show you your lending positions or trading history, it queries a subgraph instead of scanning the entire blockchain. Indexers run the infrastructure, curators signal quality, and GRT tokens pay for everything.

The Graph Ecosystem

Data indexing for thousands of dApps across multiple chains
Subgraph marketplace for reusable blockchain data indexes
Staking GRT as an indexer, curator, or delegator to earn rewards
Multi-chain support including Ethereum, Arbitrum, Polygon, and more
Essential infrastructure used by Uniswap, Aave, Compound, and others

Team & Development

The Graph was co-founded by Yaniv Tal (project lead), Jannis Pohlmann (tech lead), and Brandon Ramirez (research lead) in 2018. The Graph Foundation supports ecosystem development, and Edge & Node (the original development team) continues to build core infrastructure. The project has received backing from leading crypto investors including Coinbase Ventures and Digital Currency Group.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is The Graph important?

Without The Graph, every dApp would need to build custom data infrastructure — like every website building its own Google. The Graph provides a shared, decentralized indexing layer that thousands of applications rely on.

How do I earn with GRT?

You can delegate GRT to indexers and earn a share of query fees. Delegation does not require technical knowledge — you choose an indexer and stake your GRT through The Graph Explorer. Indexers and curators require more technical involvement.

Where do I store GRT?

GRT is an ERC-20 token on Ethereum. Store it in MetaMask, Trust Wallet, Ledger, or any Ethereum-compatible wallet.

Can I sell or swap GRT?

Yes. Swaps supports selling GRT for fiat and swapping it for other tokens.

Buy The Graph on Swaps

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