At the core of the Web 2.0 stack lies the REST API. It's the fiber which allows frontend applications to communicate with their backend counterparts, as well as the services on which they depend. But the API model is highly constrained and inflexible. The API is divorced from the data model, which creates a number of restrictions and inefficiencies. Most blockchain clients, including Geth, Parity and Bitcoin Core, use a JSON-RPC model which suffers from similar issues. Several Ethereum DApps maintain high-availability, centralized data indexes which sit between the client and the blockchain. Thought user experience is greatly improved, the practice means most of the ecosystem relies on centralized infrastructure.

We're joined by Yaniv Tal, Project Lead at The Graph. The project aims to create a scalable marketplace of robust and high-availability blockchain data indexes. Relying on the modern GraphQL data query language initially developed by Facebook, The Graph allows developers to make complex queries to a robust and high-availability data infrastructure. Launched as a hosted service earlier this year, The Graph plans to move to a decentralized model in the future.

Topics covered in this episode:

The vision of The Graph and why the team chose to work on this problem

The REST API client-server model in the Web 2.0 paradigm

The state of the Ethereum ecosystem and the challenges relating to data availability

How DApps work behind the scenes and their backend infrastructure

GraphQL as the evolution of the API model

How The Graph addresses the issue of data querying and availability

Their hosted services and plans to move to a hybrid model

How The Graph addresses privacy and scalability

The incentive mechanisms and economics related to data integrity

Early applications and the project's near-term roadmap

Episode links:

The Graph - A Query Protocol for Blockchains

The Graph on Medium

Browse and Explore Subgraphs

Graph Docs

GraphQL Will Power the Decentralized Web

The Graph’s Research and Specifications are Now Open Source

Our Investment In The Graph - Multicoin Capital

GraphQL

Yaniv Tal on Twitter

Sponsors:

Cosmos: Join the most interoperable ecosystem of connected blockchains - http://cosmos.network/epicenter

This episode is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain & Sebastien Couture. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/283