Blockchain Indexing Tools Compared: The Trade-Offs Behind Fast Queries

Description

Let’s take a deep dive into the world of blockchain indexing options that we have at our fingertips right now. We're going to dive into decentralized networks, managed indexers, and analytics warehouses. We'll focus on some important aspects like performance, latency, how fresh the data is, handling reorganizations, and of course, the costs involved. We'll dive into some of the unique quirks of different vendors and also chat about up-and-coming practices like Substreams and Firehose. On top of that, we’ll share some useful guides on whether to build or buy, making it easier for your team to choose the right tech stack.

Who this is for

• Folks at startups and bigger companies who are jumping into blockchain solutions or thinking about ramping them up. Hey there, engineering leaders! If you're weighing the options between building your own solutions or going for ready-made products for things like on-chain analytics, product features, or even AI data pipelines, you're definitely not alone. It's a big decision, and there are a lot of factors to think about!

---

TL;DR

When we chat about “fast queries” in the web3 world, we’re talking about response times that can be as quick as under a second or maybe just a few seconds. We’re also looking for data that’s super fresh--ideally, updated every minute or so. Plus, we want those results to stay solid, even when things get a bit chaotic, like during reorganizations. Oh, and let’s not forget about costs; it’s important that they stay predictable, even when the traffic ramps up. You'll come across various trade-offs in three key areas:

• Decentralized indexing networks (like The Graph and SubQuery) are pretty cool because they provide solid composability and keep things vendor-neutral. Their speed really hinges on the network indexers. They’re really great for setting up GraphQL and diving into open data markets. If you're curious and want to dig deeper into the topic, feel free to check out more details here.
• Managed indexing/streaming APIs (like Goldsky, Alchemy, QuickNode, Moralis, Bitquery, Chainbase, and Covalent): If you’re looking for the fastest way to get everything up and running, this is definitely the way to go! You get instant access to real-time streams and easy-to-use endpoints, which is super convenient. However, just keep in mind that with that speed, you could lose a bit of decentralization and might find yourself somewhat tied to a specific vendor. For more info, just click here!
• Analytics warehouses (think Dune, BigQuery, or Flipside/Snowflake shares): These are great if you really love diving into complex SQL queries and doing some cross-chain analysis. They really excel in business intelligence and AI training! Just keep in mind that they usually don't operate in real-time at the block level. If you want to explore this further, check it out here. It's worth a look!

---

What “fast” really means onchain (and where teams get surprised)

• Latency Budget If you're aiming for that seamless real-time experience, you’ll want to keep your trading and bot tasks around 50 to 500 milliseconds. For dashboards, you can stretch it a bit--up to about 1 second is totally manageable. So, here's the deal: different providers work at different speeds. For instance, Bitquery says it can pull data in about 1 second if you’re using GraphQL subscriptions. If you switch to Kafka, you’re looking at speeds under 500 milliseconds--pretty quick, right? And if you go with gRPC for Solana, it gets even faster, clocking in at under 100 milliseconds. Quite the range! Check it out here.
• Freshness and Reorgs You've got a decision to make! You can go with tip-of-chain data, which is quicker, or you can opt for finalized data that’s a lot safer. It really depends on what you value more, speed or security! So, tools like Substreams and Firehose do a great job of keeping an eye on cursors. They automatically handle things like rollbacks and replays, especially when forks are figuring themselves out. It's pretty handy! If you want to dig deeper into this topic, you can check out more details here.
• Coverage Depth So, here's the deal: some APIs just give you the basics, like logs and events. But then you've got others that really go all out, letting you dig into traces, internal transfers, decoded ABIs, and even mempool data. It's pretty cool how much more insight you can get with the right tools! So, check this out: Alchemy’s Transfers API is pretty handy because it combines external, token, and internal transfers into one easy call. Just a heads up, though--watch out for that pagination TTL issue; it can trip you up if you’re not careful! You’ll get what I'm saying once you dive in. Check it out here.
• Determinism So, here’s the deal: if you go with decentralized indexers, you get these cool, verifiable subgraphs, plus curation and some market incentives thrown in. On the flip side, managed APIs come with service level agreements (SLAs) and are super fast, but you have to take their word for how they process everything. It's kind of a trade-off! Want to dive deeper? Check it out here for all the details!
• Cost Predictability It's all about finding that sweet spot between managing warehouse costs, like Dune credits and the bytes scanned in BigQuery, and figuring out how to price things based on requests or streams. It can get a bit tricky! Don't forget to keep an eye on those unexpected traffic spikes, as well as the regular background backfills. It's important to consider both of these factors! If you want to dive deeper into the details, you can check out more info right here.

---

The landscape: three archetypes you can mix and match

1) Decentralized indexing networks

• The Graph
• Scope: The Network now has your back with support for over 40 different chains! This includes some big names like Arbitrum, Base, Avalanche, and Celo. Pretty cool, right? If you want to dive deeper into the topic, check it out here. There's a lot of interesting information!
• Economics/ops: In 2023, the Network decided to switch things up and move to Arbitrum to make life easier for everyone involved. This change is great because it helps bring down gas fees and makes it more affordable for both indexers and delegators to get involved. Hey, if you're interested, you can find all the details right here. It's worth a look!
• Developer Journey: Hey there, developers! If you're working on some cool projects, you can easily deploy them to Subgraph Studio. Hey, just wanted to give you a quick heads up! There are some rate limits on the dev endpoints--you can only make 3,000 queries each day. So, you might want to consider shifting your production apps over to the Network to avoid any hiccups. If you’re looking for more details, just click here!
• Substreams: You can really amp up your indexing game in Rust by using multi-sink outputs. It’s like having your cake and eating it too with options like subgraphs, Postgres, ClickHouse, and Mongo. This setup is built for high-speed indexing, and it’s compatible with non-EVM chains such as Solana and Starknet. Learn more here.
• Heads up! Just a friendly reminder that the support for Substreams-powered Subgraphs in Studio wrapped up in 2025. If you're part of a team, you’ve got two solid options: you can jump straight into Substreams or stick with the older versions of Graph Node or indexers that still work well for you. It’s all about what fits your needs best! If you're looking for more details, just check out this link here. You’ll find a ton of helpful info!
• SubQuery Network Hey there! Exciting news--on February 23, 2024, their Mainnet officially launched on Base! Now, with the SQT token in your hands, you can jump right into the world of decentralized query markets. It’s a pretty cool opportunity to explore! Oh, and by the way, the tokenomics vesting is lined up perfectly with that launch date. Take a look at this: (subquery.network). You might find it interesting!

When to Use It

So you're into GraphQL and open markets! That's awesome! Staying neutral for the long haul really matters to you.

• You’ve got a good handle on how the network performs and you know that indexers can be a bit all over the place sometimes.

2) Managed indexing/streaming APIs

• Goldsky They’ve got this cool feature called “Subgraphs” that gives you super fast access to GraphQL. Plus, there’s “Mirror,” which lets you stream decoded on-chain data straight into your own databases or data lakes. Pretty handy, right? So, during testing by Goldsky, it looks like their Firehose integration helped ZORA sync subgraphs about three times faster. Pretty impressive, right? Feel free to take a look at it here: goldsky.com. It's worth your time! They've thrown out some pretty daring claims about how fast Mirror is. Just remember, though, these are based on bench tests, so the actual speed might change depending on the hardware you're using. Did you know that XXL pipelines can actually process over 100,000 rows every second? That’s pretty wild! They even go as far as to say that you could “backfill all of Ethereum in just around 3 hours.” Oh, and if you've got the right setup, you can grab a “blocks table” in less than 4 minutes. Talk about impressive speed! Keep in mind that these figures are probably the most optimistic estimates. Want to know more? Check it out here: goldsky.com.
• Alchemy The Transfers API is pretty awesome because it pulls together your entire transaction history--whether it’s external, token, or internal--into one neat package. Plus, it’s said to be a whopping “100× faster” than if you tried to dig all that info up yourself! Hey quick reminder: the pageKey TTL is set to 10 minutes. So, make sure you batch your requests smartly! If you don’t, you might end up having to redo all that pagination from scratch. Just a little tip to save you some time! On top of that, we've got webhooks and token APIs rounding out the stack. Take a look at it here: alchemy.com. You might find it really interesting!
• QuickNode
• We've got this awesome NFT API that spans more than 60 chains! It makes it super easy for you to look up ownership, track transfers, and dive into collection queries. The v2 token/NFT bundle comes with better accuracy and faster indexing. It's definitely a step up! Take a look at this link: quicknode.com. You might find something interesting there!
• Moralis The Streams API hooks you up with decoded and enhanced events via webhooks, and they’re pretty confident about it, boasting a “100% delivery guarantee.” On top of that, it lets you check out historical replays and keeps an eye on wallets and contracts across several EVM chains. They’re also proud to say they have SOC 2 Type II compliance. Take a look at this: moralis.com. You might find it interesting!
• Bitquery Get ready to dive into real-time GraphQL subscriptions that respond in just about a second! And if you're looking for something even faster, our Kafka streams are lightning-fast, coming in at under 500 milliseconds. Plus, don't miss out on our speedy gRPC “CoreCast” for Solana--it's quick enough to respond in less than 100 milliseconds. Pretty cool, right? They offer coverage across multiple chains, and they've even got pre-aggregated metrics to make things easier. On top of that, their regional endpoints help keep latency low, which is pretty cool! Take a look at this link: (docs.bitquery.io). You'll find some great info there!
• Chainbase You’ve got a bunch of options for setting up your pipelines! You can use SQL transforms, tap into GraphQL endpoints, send data via webhooks, or stream it to destinations like S3, Snowflake, or Postgres. It’s all about finding what works best for your needs! They've got backfills that are a whopping ten times faster than subgraphs, all thanks to their nifty pre-cached infrastructure. Hey there! Just a quick note to let you know that the classic SQL API for DataCloud has officially been retired. So be sure to check out the newer versions for the best experience! (platform.chainbase.com).
• Covalent (GoldRush) They’re launching some really awesome structured and normalized multichain APIs for wallets, transactions, NFTs, and security features. And guess what? They’ve got big plans to expand even more through 2024 and 2025! They've rolled out a Streaming API, which is still in public beta, and it gives you updates in just a split second. As we glance towards 2025, they're gearing up for some exciting AI-driven features. Think of a "Wayback Machine" that lets you dive into the past, along with access to more than 100 different chains. It's shaping up to be pretty cool! Take a look at this link: docs.linea.build. You might find some really useful info there!

When to Use

If you're aiming to hit the market fast, it's super important to make sure your data models are spot-on. You'll want cross-chain consistency and have your service-level agreements (SLAs) sorted out too. Just remember, in these cases, performance really takes priority over decentralization.

3) Analytics warehouses and SQL engines

• Dune So, on the DuneSQL front, you've got not just the platform itself, but also all the handy APIs and connectors that come along with it. Plus, there are some cool credit-based execution tiers to check out! Hey, just wanted to give you a quick heads-up! If you’re on the free plan, the engine's gonna time out after 120 seconds. If you're looking to upgrade to bigger engines, just keep in mind that they'll really start eating into your credits. The API is pretty cool! It lets you manage your query executions and results easily, plus it comes with some convenient preset endpoints for things like contracts, DEX, and EigenLayer.
  It's a great pick for business intelligence and product analytics. Just remember, though, it’s not really designed for streaming. (dune.com).
• Check out the public and managed crypto datasets available on Google BigQuery. You've got access to public datasets that cover BTC, ETH, and more than 11 other chains, including Arbitrum, Polygon, Optimism, Tron, and Avalanche. Everything's laid out with uniform schemas, making it pretty easy to navigate. On top of that, Google also includes "Blockchain Analytics" datasets, which are pretty cool! They provide you with raw EVM logs, call traces, and they really nail the whole decimal handling thing without any loss. This really comes in clutch when you're trying to do cross-chain joins with your app data! Check it out here!.
• Flipside
• Just a heads up--by July 2025, Flipside is officially saying goodbye to its Studio, dashboards, API, and SDK. Now you can tap into everything with Snowflake data shares, plus check out some awesome new AI tools! Hey there! So, if you’ve been using the old API, it’s time to buckle up because you’ll need to start making some migrations. Take a look at the details right here: (docs.flipsidecrypto.xyz). You’ll find everything you need!

When to Use

So, when's the right time to dive into analytics, finance/operations, machine learning or AI training, or even some serious SQL work? Well, if you’re looking for lightning-fast user experiences (like, we’re talking sub-second), then those options might not be your best bet. But hey, if you need solid support for your product KPIs or want to roll out some batch features, then these tools are definitely worth considering!

---

Performance truths that matter more than marketing

• Sequential Log Crawlers vs. Parallel Block Processing.

Let’s break it down! On one hand, we’ve got those sequential log crawlers. They take a methodical, step-by-step approach to sifting through logs, which can be pretty reliable. But it can also feel a bit slow, right?

On the flip side, there’s parallel block processing. This method is all about speed and efficiency, tackling multiple blocks at once. It’s like having a team of friends helping you out instead of doing it all alone.

So, both methods have their perks and drawbacks, depending on what you’re aiming for! Substreams, also known as Firehose, take blocks and break them down into individual “one-block files” that get saved in object storage. This allows for parallel reads and makes it easier to stream while keeping track of changes. With this setup in place, you can steer clear of those overloaded RPCs and enjoy a significant speed boost when it comes to indexing certain workloads. Take a look at this: goldsky.com. You might find something interesting there!

• Traces vs logs A lot of endpoints that say they offer a “complete history” usually include things like traces and internal transfers. So, it's a good idea to double-check with your provider to ensure you can actually access all of that info. This really applies to tools like Alchemy’s Transfers, Covalent’s transactions, logs, and traces, as well as the BigQuery EVM traces. If you don't keep an eye on things, you could miss out on some valuable shifts that come from contracts starting up. More info here: (alchemy.com).
• Don't forget about archive nodes! They're still really important. If you're on the hunt for unique state diffs or some custom tracing, you’ve got to check out Erigon v3. It really stands out with its amazing efficiency! It says it can manage a 1. Wow, we've got this amazing 79 TB archive that can sync in just 18 hours around block ~21,639,500! That’s seriously impressive, especially when you consider that other clients might take weeks to get the job done. It's a total game-changer! Hey, just a heads up--these benchmarks are always changing, so keep in mind that your results might look different depending on your hardware. Dive deeper here: (erigon.tech).

---

Practical vendor quirks that bite teams (and how to avoid them)

• Alchemy Transfers: Pagination and Time to Live (TTL). Just a heads up, the pageKey will only be good for about 10 minutes before it expires. If your job's running a bit slow or your team decides to hit the restart button, unfortunately, you'll have to start the whole process from scratch. To keep everything within that time-to-live (TTL) limit, it’s smart to use short-lived workers. Also, don’t forget to have a solid backoff strategy in place and break your tasks down into smaller chunks based on time windows. This way, you’ll keep everything running smoothly! (alchemy.com).
• The limitations of Graph Studio development. Hey there! Just a heads up, you can usually run about 3,000 queries daily on those dev endpoints. Also, you've got the opportunity to have up to three deployed subgraphs in Studio. Pretty cool, right? If you’re dealing with any production traffic, make sure to publish to the Network, which basically means you’ll be setting up some paid queries.
  If you want to dig deeper into the details, just click here.
• Flipside API deprecation
  Hey there! If you’re currently using Flipside’s SDK/API in your setup, now’s the perfect time to transition to Snowflake shares or check out another API provider. It's a good move to stay ahead! The old endpoints were officially retired on July 31, 2025. If you're looking for more details, just click here. It's all laid out for you!
• Bitquery streaming options
  So, WebSocket GraphQL is definitely the easiest option out there. Just a heads-up though: it operates on an at-most-once basis, which means you won’t get any replay features. If you're looking for something a bit more solid, Kafka is a great option. It offers at-least-once delivery and keeps your data around for you. Now, let’s talk about gRPC CoreCast. It’s definitely the fastest option for Solana, but just a heads up--it does have some restrictions when it comes to filtering on the server side. So, just take your time and pick what works best for you when it comes to your delivery needs! (docs.bitquery.io).
• Chainbase API versions Just a quick heads-up! The Classic DataCloud SQL API is set to be retired on December 31, 2024. Hey there! Just a quick heads up: to keep everything running smoothly, you should switch over to the newer DataCloud and Pipeline interfaces. It’ll make your life a lot easier! If you’re looking for more info, just check out the documentation. It’s got all the details you need!

---

Build or buy? A decision rubric (with concrete examples)

For the next quarter, you'll definitely want to set up a cross-chain "portfolio" view. Plus, it'll be super helpful to get those user receipts organized.

• Buy: Take a look at the Alchemy Transfers API and the Token API. You might also want to explore the Covalent Wallet and Transactions APIs.
  With these perks, you can look forward to smooth internal transfers, fun decoded events, and speedy backfills that only take a few days instead of dragging on for weeks. Plus, when you add webhooks, you’ll be getting updates nearly in real-time. How cool is that? (alchemy.com).
• Heads Up: Just a quick reminder to watch out for pagination TTL on Alchemy. Also, make sure you're mindful of the rate limits and credits. And don't forget to check how consistent everything is across the different chains!
• Stretch Goal: Think about sending your data to a warehouse every week, like BigQuery, to help with your business intelligence needs. It's a great way to keep everything organized and make smarter decisions! (cloud.google.com).

1. You're all set to launch a real-time DEX monitor and an arbitrage bot! Alright, let’s dive into how to get started! Here’s a simple guide to help you out:

• Buy: You've got some great choices in front of you! If you're looking for lightning-fast trade feeds, definitely give Bitquery Kafka streams a try. On the other hand, if you’re more into Solana bots, gRPC CoreCast might be the way to go. To really nail your strategy, it’s a good idea to create a replayable stream that keeps hold of data. If you’re looking for more details, just check this out: docs.bitquery.io. You’ll find everything you need there!
• Hybrid: If you're keen on exploring historical analytics and risk modeling, give Dune API or BigQuery a shot! They’re great tools for digging deep into the data. They'll help you break down those route stats, and then you can watch the live updates as they come in. If you want to dive deeper, just check out docs.dune.com for all the details!

3) You’re a protocol building an open analytics layer for your ecosystem.

• Decentralize: Kick things off by getting a subgraph out there on The Graph. It's a great way to share your data! Hey, have you thought about checking out Substreams? They’re pretty cool and can really help you channel data into both your subgraph and your own database sinks. This opens up a world of possibilities for some advanced analytics! Hey, just a quick reminder to make sure we're encouraging quality indexing throughout the Network! You can find more info about it here.
• Managed Parallel: You might want to check out Goldsky Subgraphs for setting up a GraphQL endpoint. It could be really helpful! You can totally use Mirror to connect with your ClickHouse or Postgres if you want to try out your product. It's a great way to experiment and see how everything fits together! Don't forget to think about decentralization in the future! It’s super important to have that in your plans. Check out goldsky.com for more info!

1. You'll definitely want to gather some reliable "ground-truth" data for compliance and backtesting. This means digging up past states and traces to get yourself set up right.

• Build: If you’re keen on certain chains, why not give an Erigon archive node a shot? It's a great way to dive deeper into the networks you care about! If you team that up with Firehose or Substreams, you can really streamline the extraction process. It’s all about smooth parallel workflows! Then, just make sure to save everything in Parquet format in your object storage. Super efficient! Yeah, it might seem a little expensive at first, but the great part is you’ll get to call all the shots when it comes to semantics and reorganization policies. Take a look at this over at their site: (erigon.tech). You’ll find some cool info!
• Augment: Why not team up with BigQuery's public datasets? It’s a great way to double-check your data or make it even richer. That's a clever way to take your analysis to the next level! More info here: (cloud.google.com).

---

Emerging best practices (what’s working in 2025)

• Parallel-first indexing If you're diving into some major historical backfills, I'd recommend checking out Substreams or Firehose. They really help make the process smoother! This approach lets you send data to multiple destinations, like subgraph and SQL, all from the same pipeline. It’s a great way to avoid drift and skip the headache of reindexing. Check it out here!.
• "Think of it this way: a steaming hot spring meets a chilly lake." If you’re looking for reliable options for your hot paths, consider going with managed streams like Bitquery Kafka, Moralis Streams, or Alchemy webhooks. They can really simplify your workflow! After that, just toss those normalized records into a data lake or a warehouse. It'll help you get some great BI and AI insights while also making everything easy to replicate. Hey! If you want to dive into the details, just hop over to this link: (docs.bitquery.io). Enjoy exploring!
• Deterministic reorg policy
  Make sure you’re keeping an eye on the finality thresholds for each blockchain. For instance, check how many confirmations Ethereum requires in comparison to Solana’s slot depth. It's pretty interesting to see how they measure up! If you're teaming up with a provider to take care of this for you, just make sure you know their rollback window and how they let you know which data isn't finalized. It's totally worth getting that sorted! (thegraph.com).
• Trace-aware completeness To really get a full picture of your history, be sure your provider records all those internal calls, traces, and decoded events. It’s super important for having everything in one place! If you don’t keep an eye on those, you could miss out on some key changes in value or approvals that aren’t reflected in the usual logs. (alchemy.com).
• Pagination SLA tests If you're working with an API that uses expiring cursors, like Alchemy Transfers, it’s a good idea to do some load tests on your batch sizes and retry logic in your CI environment before hitting production. Trust me, it’ll save you some headaches down the road! This is a pretty common mistake that can really cause you to miss a bunch of deadlines. (alchemy.com).
• Don’t overlook warehousing You know, even the quickest API can slow things down when you're diving into analytics. You might want to consider saving those daily or hourly snapshots in BigQuery or Snowflake, just like Flipside does. It’s a smart move! Plus, keeping your product analytics separate from the user experience journey can really help you get clearer insights.
  (cloud.google.com).

---

Mini deep dives: concrete patterns

1) Cross‑chain wallet “activity feed” in two weeks

• What’s Included: So, we're all set up with the Alchemy Transfers API for handling ETH and L2s, plus their Token API. And if we come across any chains that Alchemy doesn’t cover, we’ll just switch gears and use the Covalent Wallet API instead. It’s a solid plan! If you want to dive deeper into the Alchemy Transfers API, just click here. You'll find all the info you need! We're going to set up Webhooks using Alchemy Notify, so we can keep an eye on the deltas. Plus, we'll do a nightly check-in with BigQuery to make sure everything matches up. If you want to dive deeper into that, check it out here. There’s a lot more cool info waiting for you!
• A Few Things to Remember:
• You know, internal transfers while you're staking or unstaking can really confuse people. Let's make sure our UI does a great job of separating internal and external flows. We want to keep things clear and avoid any confusion!

2) Real-time Solana Market-Making Assistant

• Components: Hey, have you heard about the Bitquery CoreCast gRPC? It’s designed for order-flow signals and it's lightning-fast--like, it delivers in under 100 ms! Pretty impressive, right? Oh, and just so you know, we rely on Kafka for our replayable pipelines. For digging into the data for our offline feature stores, we use Dune and BigQuery to really crunch the numbers. If you want to dive deeper, feel free to check it out here. It's got all the details you need!
• Edge Cases: Just a heads-up to watch out for slot reorgs! It's a good idea to wait a bit before diving into new fills, unless your risk engine is built to handle those rollbacks without breaking a sweat. Better safe than sorry, right? If you want to dive deeper into this topic, check it out here. It’s definitely worth a read!

3) Ecosystem Analytics with a Decentralization Path

• Components:
• Set up the Author Substreams modules just a single time, and then share the data with:
• a production Subgraph (Network),.
• A Postgres/ClickHouse warehouse to help create stronger and more reliable dashboards.
• Plus, it comes with a super easy-to-use public API that's just right for anyone looking to build a community. (thegraph.com).
• Bonus: Hey there! If you're looking for managed operations and need something quick, definitely take a look at Goldsky Subgraphs and Mirror. They're pretty handy! This setup really helps you stay in control of your data, and it also makes it super easy to switch back to a decentralized infrastructure down the road if you ever want to. (goldsky.com).

---

Costs and SLOs: how to model them sensibly

Let's talk about throughput and unit costs. They're super important when you’re looking at efficiency and spending. Throughput is all about how much work or product you can get done in a certain amount of time. It’s like how many burgers a restaurant can serve in an hour. On the flip side, unit costs refer to how much you spend to make each individual product. So, if you're making those burgers, it's how much you spend on ingredients and labor for each one. When you keep track of both factors, you can really hone in on your operations and find ways to boost productivity while keeping costs in check. It's all about balancing the two!

• Dune: When it comes to Dune, credits really matter. They're your go-to for understanding engine size, how smoothly everything is operating, and even how much you're exporting. Just a heads up--make sure to set aside some credits if you're going to be tackling those big monthly reports. For all the details, just click here. You’ll find everything you need!
• BigQuery: BigQuery lets you track your spending by monitoring the number of bytes you scan. It’s a handy way to stay on top of costs! If you want to keep your costs in check, it’s a good idea to use materialized views and partitioned tables to pre-aggregate your data. It really helps streamline everything! On top of that, Google’s Blockchain Analytics datasets are really useful for keeping track of all those raw objects, logs, and traces. The cool thing is that storage is free! Just remember, though, you’ll have to shell out some cash when you start running queries. If you want to dive deeper, you can check out more details here.
• Streaming: So, when we talk about streaming, both the Kafka and gRPC tiers--like Bitquery--and the webhook traffic from services such as Moralis and Alchemy will definitely ramp up as your user base expands. Don’t forget to set up a plan for your dead letter queues and replay infrastructure. It’s super important to have that in place! If you’re looking for more info, check this out here!
• Backfill economics
  If you're working with providers that offer parallel backfills--think Goldsky Mirror, Chainbase pipelines, and Substreams--you can really streamline your process. It's a game changer! Instead of wasting weeks on those tedious linear crawling and reindexing loops, you'll save yourself loads of time and cash. It's definitely worth considering! Hey, don't forget to take a look at your data volume and schema to see how everything aligns. It's super important! (goldsky.com).

---

Tool-by-tool quick notes (non-exhaustive, but high-signal)

• The Graph: If you're a fan of GraphQL and love open data, this is definitely the place for you! Hey there! If you’re looking to scale up for production-level work, you can definitely publish to the Network. Plus, if you’re handling a ton of jobs, definitely take a look at Substreams. It could really make a difference! Hey, just a heads up that there are a few limitations in Studio dev. (thegraph.com).
• SubQuery: They officially launched on February 23, 2024, on Base, complete with their mainnet and token. You should definitely check it out, especially if you're into ecosystems where SubQuery just makes sense--like Polkadot and Cosmos, for example. On top of that, it brings a really interesting perspective on how decentralized indexer economics work. (subquery.network).
• Goldsky: If you’re looking for a fast and easy way to grab GraphQL endpoints and sync that data straight to your warehouse, this is it! They've got Firehose for quick boosts, plus some really useful template data sources to help out. (goldsky.com).
• Alchemy: A great pick for developers! It has a nice range of APIs for Transfers, Token management, Notifications, Receipts, and Trace. Hey, don’t forget to keep an eye on that pagination TTL! You can check it out over at alchemy.com. Just a little reminder!
• QuickNode: It supports a bunch of different chains. Their NFT API v2 is all about being fast and spot-on, which makes it awesome for anything you need in the NFT world. (quicknode.com).
• Moralis: They've got this awesome webhook-first Streams feature that lets you access decoded payloads and even replay them. It's pretty neat! It's a great choice for anyone looking to manage backend event ingestion. (moralis.com).
• Bitquery: You’ve got options when it comes to your stream protocol! Whether you go for WS, Kafka, or gRPC really depends on what you’re looking for in terms of speed and reliability. Choose what fits your needs best! They’ve got a pretty awesome GraphQL setup that lets you access both historical data and real-time updates. (docs.bitquery.io).
• Covalent: They provide some pretty cool tools, like normalized multichain APIs, SDKs, and even a beta version of their Streaming API.
  They really have a wide range of chains covered, plus they've got those security and NFT endpoints as well! If you want to dive deeper, check out their docs at docs.linea.build.
• Dune: If you're a fan of SQL, you'll really enjoy this one! It's credit-based, but it also lets you export data via API and connect with other tools too. It's great for diving into product analytics and creating community dashboards! (docs.dune.com).
• BigQuery: This tool lets you tap into a ton of public and managed datasets from various chains. You’ll find everything from EVM traces to logs and calls all in one place! It's a great pick for keeping an eye on cross-chain KPIs and for training AI models. (cloud.google.com).
• Erigon: Hey there! If you're interested in setting up your own archive nodes, you might want to take a look at Erigon v3. It’s a solid option! The way it handles storage and sync is impressive and can really help cut down on what you need for your infrastructure. Don't forget to check it out yourself! You can find all the details over at erigon.tech.

---

Actionable checklist for choosing your stack

• Define the SLOs
  Alright, here’s the plan: let’s aim for a P99 latency target for our reads. We want to make sure everything stays fresh, so maybe shoot for something like “less than 2 blocks” for that. And don’t forget to lay out how we’ll handle reorganizations--like what finality threshold we’ll set for each chain.
  (thegraph.com).
• Figure out if you have all the data you need. First, you’ll want to determine whether you're after traces or internal transfers, along with decoded events and mempool data. Just take a moment to think about what you really need! Just double-check that your provider is offering solid coverage. You want to make sure you're fully protected! (alchemy.com).
• Choose how you want to load the data. You’ve got a few options to pick from here: you can go for pull methods like GraphQL or REST, or if you prefer something a bit more hands-off, how about using push with webhooks? And let’s not forget about streams--you might want to check out Kafka or gRPC if that sounds interesting to you. It all depends on what fits your project best! Hey, just a quick reminder--make sure to build in support for retries, idempotency, and replay features. You never know when they'll come in handy! (docs.bitquery.io).
• Plan your backfill
  Make sure to look into those parallel backfill features, and don’t forget to keep an eye on the rate limits, such as TTL and credits. Before you jump in headfirst, it’s a smart move to test things out with about a month's worth of chain history. It'll give you a better feel for the process! (alchemy.com).
• Land a warehouse
• If you're just getting into APIs, it's a good idea to think ahead and set up daily exports to BigQuery or Snowflake. Trust me, it’ll save you headaches down the road! This could really save you from getting stuck down the line and will also pave the way for AI/BI in the future! (cloud.google.com).
• Create a runbook for reindexing. Make sure to figure out when and how you’ll go about dropping or rebuilding those derived tables whenever there's a schema change or if you're dealing with long reorgs. It’s really important to stay on top of this!

---

Final word: composability beats silver bullets

There’s no single “fastest” tool that everyone should be using. What really matters is finding the fastest stack that works for your unique needs and how much risk you're okay with taking. Looking ahead to 2025, it’s clear that the best teams are going to come together in some pretty exciting ways. Here’s what we can expect:

Think of it as either a streaming service or a decentralized Substreams pipeline for those popular routes. Check it out here.

• We've got a solid query setup that’s designed specifically for product features, such as GraphQL subgraphs or managed APIs. If you're looking for more info about this, check it out here!
• Plus, there’s a separate warehouse set up just for managing governance, finance, and AI data. Check out the full scoop here!

Hey there! If you need a design review or want to whip up a proof-of-concept to really dive into your SLOs and costs, 7Block Labs is here to help you out. We’re here to help you design, prototype, and fine-tune the ideal mix that’s just right for your needs--whether it’s about chain coverage, latency, or compliance. Let's work together to create something that fits you perfectly!