Explore updates on Substreams tools, Graph Horizon, and the Subgraph Service.
TL;DR: Core Dev Call #31 highlighted three key updates for The Graph:
- Substreams Codegen: New tools to simplify Substreams-powered subgraph development.
- Graph Horizon (GIP-0066): A modular protocol for diverse data services.
- Subgraph Service (GIP-0068): Major improvements to subgraph indexing.
Core Dev Calls are meetings where core contributors working on The Graph discuss major updates and brainstorm about active research & development. Core dev teams also post monthly updates in the Core Team Update category on The Graph Forum.
This particular call covered several important updates and features related to developer onboarding tools, protocol changes, and the future evolution of the protocol. Read on for notable highlights from the session, organized into key topics for easy understanding.
Overview of Core Dev Call #31
Core contributors provided updates on three primary topics:
- Substreams development tools
- Graph Horizon protocol
- Subgraph Service
Substreams development tools
Presenter: Alex Bourget from StreamingFast
StreamingFast presented Substreams Codegen, a powerful toolset that helps developers more easily build Substreams-powered subgraphs. The update includes improvements in both cloud and local development, allowing developers to quickly bootstrap and manage their subgraph projects.
We’ve been working for the last two and a half months to really simplify onboarding and to help people write Substreams-powered subgraphs as fast as possible.
Key features
- Integration methods: Two modes of integration were discussed—the original entity-based method and the new trigger-based integration, which improves the flexibility of subgraph development.
You get a blend of two worlds: Substreams, which can scale horizontally, and subgraphs, which trigger events. It’s chain-agnostic and can handle any payload from any chain or protocol.
- Development environment: Developers can now use a fully contained environment for Substreams and subgraph development using container technology (dev containers) compatible with VS Code and GitHub Codespaces.
The idea is to provide a fully contained development environment… so you can run everything locally or in the cloud without needing to set up anything on your local machine.
- Demo and features: Alex provided a live demo showcasing major improvements to the development GUI, making it easier to test, build, and deploy subgraphs using the new environment.
Resources
- Substreams Codegen — No-code Tool to Bootstrap Your Project
- Substreams Codegen GitHub Repository
- Substreams Documentation
Graph Horizon protocol
Presenter: Tomás Migone from Edge & Node
Another major announcement was the introduction of Graph Horizon (GIP-0066), a modular and scalable data services protocol designed to extend The Graph’s functionality. This evolution will allow service providers to offer a wide range of data services, enhancing security and flexibility for users.
Graph Horizon is the evolution of the current protocol, designed to facilitate permissionless creation and competition of different types of data services.
Key features
- Data services protocol: Graph Horizon introduces a modular framework where service providers can specialize in various data services (e.g., subgraph data services, query services, etc.).
Service providers can offer different types of data services, and data consumers can choose to use only the services they need—whether that’s subgraphs or other types of data services.
- Staking and provisions: Provisions allow service providers to stake GRT and allocate it specifically to data services. This ensures that services are backed by economic security and allows flexible management of stakes.
Provisions are really just the staking from a service provider that’s assigned to a specific data service, giving that service the ability to ensure economic security.
- Service registration and payment flow: Service providers must register their services with the Horizon framework and can collect payments through a variety of mechanisms.
- Delegation enhancements: Delegators can now specify both the service provider and the specific data service for delegation, providing a more fine-tuned staking model. Delegations are also now slashable under certain conditions to enhance network security.
Resources
Subgraph Service updates
Presenter: Tomás Migone from Edge & Node
The Subgraph Service (GIP-0068) represents a major overhaul of subgraph indexing and management within The Graph. Tomás walked through the details of transitioning the current subgraph system into Graph Horizon and the impact on indexers, query fees, and dispute management.
Key features
- Transition to Horizon: The Subgraph Service (GIP-0068) shifts subgraph indexing into the new Graph Horizon protocol, improving stake management, query fees, and dispute resolution, while ensuring backward compatibility.
Allocations are now long-lived, meaning they can stay open forever. Indexers will no longer need to close and reopen every 28 days, but they still need to present periodic POIs.
- Long-lived allocations: Allocations for indexers can remain open indefinitely, removing the previous 28-day cycle. However, indexers are required to submit Proof of Indexing (POI) periodically to remain eligible for rewards.
- Query fees and collateralization: Query fees must be collateralized with provisions, ensuring economic security for all services. This mechanism guarantees that payments made for query responses are backed by staking.
In Horizon, any payment—whether indexing rewards or query fees—must be collateralized with a provision to ensure that economic security backs each transaction.
- Dispute resolution: The new Dispute Manager contract handles disputes between service providers and consumers, ensuring a fair and efficient process for addressing conflicts.
Resources
What’s next?
Stay up to date with The Graph’s latest protocol developments by watching the Core Dev Call playlist on YouTube! Get insights into major updates like Substreams tools, Graph Horizon, and Subgraph Service improvements.
Join the conversation on The Graph Forum, Discord, and GitHub, and check out new resources to streamline your development. Don’t miss a call—subscribe to The Graph’s ecosystem calendar and follow us on social media for real-time updates.
💡 This article answers questions like:
- What tools are available for developers to build Substreams-powered subgraphs?
- How is The Graph protocol changing to enable more data services?
- How will subgraphs change with Graph Horizon?
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