Indexers

The Challenge of Blockchain Data Access

Blockchain data is inherently sequential and distributed, with information stored chronologically across numerous blocks. While retrieving data from a single block through JSON-RPC API calls is straightforward, more complex queries that span multiple blocks present significant challenges:

• Data is scattered and unorganized across the blockchain.
• Retrieving large datasets can take days or weeks to sync.
• Complex operations (like aggregations, averages, or cross-chain queries) require additional processing.
• Direct blockchain queries can impact dApp performance and responsiveness.

What is a Blockchain Indexer?

A blockchain indexer is a specialized infrastructure tool that processes, organizes, and stores blockchain data in an optimized format for efficient querying. Think of it as a search engine for blockchain data that:

• Continuously monitors the blockchain for new blocks and transactions.
• Processes and categorizes this data according to predefined schemas.
• Stores the processed data in an easily queryable database.
• Provides efficient APIs (typically GraphQL) for data retrieval.

Indexer Implementations

• Subsquid

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  Subsquid is a data network that allows rapid and cost-efficient retrieval of blockchain data from 100+ chains using Subsquid's decentralized data lake and open-source SDK. In simple terms, Subsquid can be considered an ETL (extract, transform, and load) tool with a GraphQL server included. It enables comprehensive filtering, pagination, and even full-text search capabilities. Subsquid has native and full support for EVM and Substrate data, even within the same project.

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• Subquery

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  SubQuery is a fast, flexible, and reliable open-source data decentralised infrastructure network that provides both RPC and indexed data to consumers worldwide. It provides custom APIs for your web3 project across multiple supported chains.

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