Accessing blockchain data for practical Web3 development, the SubQuery story :: with James Bayly

In this episode of Ventures, my guest James Bayly (https://twitter.com/jamesabayly) and I discuss SubQuery (https://subquery.network), including information that Web3 developers need to know about how to practically access data from blockchains to engineer decentralized applications. We talk about the various APIs available, where SubQuery fits in the Web3 data availability landscape, the difference between indexers and RPC nodes, SubQuery’s financial model, and what excites James about the Web3 space in general.

Visit https://satchel.works/@wclittle/ventures-episode-110 for detailed notes and links to resources (videos, articles, etc…) mentioned. 

You can watch this episode via video here. 

1:37 - Tee-up for the episode, why Web3 matters, what we talk about on this show

1:43 - How did James get into Web3?

3:33 - AI and blockchain as different worlds. How people start their journeys into these spaces. More information about Subquery and where it sits in the ecosystem.

7:35 - What kind of APIs are available for developers with Subquery? (GraphQL, flexible)

9:16 - What kind of blockchains does Subquery support?

11:06 - Understanding the landscape. How is Subquery different from Infura and The Graph?

12:59 - What advice does James have for developers / entrepreneurs when choosing indexers and finding data sources for your dApp?

19:30 - Is Subquery just a read-only service? 

21:16 - What is the “write” process for developers?

22:24 - What is the difference between RPC nodes, validators, and indexers?

24:27 - How is an RPC node different from the indexers that Subquery provides?

25:49 - How does Subquery make money?

28:35 - Securities laws concerns and considerations when generating a token.

32:36 - How to evaluate projects with anons as founders. 

34:56 - What excites James about Web3 in general for impacting the world for positive good?

37:40 - Where can people find James and Subquery online? https://twitter.com/jamesabayly // https://subquery.network