🚀 Graph Protocol's Horizon Upgrade Achieves Near-Complete Adoption

**Infrastructure operates best when invisible.** Every wallet balance check, DeFi transaction display, and app query relies on data infrastructure working silently behind the scenes. - The Graph has processed **trillions of queries** without fanfare - When infrastructure functions properly, users never notice it - When it fails, everything stops working This is the paradox of foundational technology: **success means obscurity.** The most critical systems are the ones we take for granted—until they're gone.

**The Graph has launched ERC-8004 Subgraphs across 8 blockchains**, creating a unified cross-chain directory for AI agent verification. **What ERC-8004 registers for AI agents:** - Identity (who they are) - Reputation (track record of behavior) - Validation (proof of correct task execution) **How it works:** An agent on Base can instantly verify the reputation of an agent on Arbitrum by querying a Subgraph. Without this infrastructure, every agent would need to scan raw blockchain data to check credentials, which would significantly slow down the network. This deployment provides the data layer that enables AI agents to function onchain at scale, working alongside payment rails like Coinbase's x402 for instant micropayments.

As blockchain technology evolves, three major trends are converging around a single infrastructure need: - **Faster block times** across major chains require more efficient data indexing - **Institutional adoption** demands auditable, reliable blockchain data - **AI agents** need structured information to execute autonomous actions The Graph is positioning itself as the common solution to these challenges, providing the data infrastructure layer that enables: - Real-time access to blockchain information - Structured data formats for AI consumption - Auditable records for institutional compliance This convergence suggests data infrastructure may become as critical as the blockchains themselves, with The Graph serving as the connective tissue between chains, institutions, and autonomous agents.

The Graph has published an educational piece exploring **x402 and ERC8004**, emerging token standards in the Ethereum ecosystem. These experimental standards represent ongoing efforts to expand token functionality beyond traditional ERC-20 and ERC-721 formats. The article breaks down: - Technical specifications of x402 and ERC8004 - How these standards differ from existing token types - Potential use cases for developers - Implementation considerations The piece follows previous community interest in experimental token standards like ERC-404, which attempted to combine fungible and non-fungible token properties. [Read the full explanation](https://thegraph.com/blog/understanding-x402-erc8004/)

Substreams Sink SQL now supports delta updates, improving how onchain data pipelines handle aggregations. **Key improvements:** - Aggregation logic moves to Postgres, reducing Substreams processing load - Enables native, incremental SQL operations (counts, sums, volumes) - Keeps data pipelines lighter and faster This update allows developers to perform database-level aggregations directly in Postgres rather than in Substreams modules. The change streamlines data processing by leveraging SQL's native capabilities for incremental calculations, making it easier to track metrics like transaction counts and trading volumes without additional overhead.