The Graph Unveils Ambitious 2026 Technical Roadmap to Build Web3’s Data Backbone

The Graph has published a detailed technical roadmap for 2026 that lays out an ambitious plan to transform the protocol from an indexing-focused network into a modular, multi-service data backbone for the on-chain economy. The document, which follows the rollout of the Horizon upgrade in December 2025, frames the next year as one of product expansion, tighter economic alignment, and deeper enterprise readiness for developers, AI agents, and institutional users.

At the heart of the roadmap are three interconnected layers: a protocol layer that preserves permissionless security and payment mechanics, a product layer that introduces purpose-built data services, and an economic layer designed to align incentives across Indexers, Delegators and consumers. The Graph argues that, as blockchains scale and use cases diversify, no single indexing approach can satisfy the full spectrum of needs, from SQL-native analytics and low-latency streaming to compliance-ready, on-premises deployments for institutions, and Horizon’s modular architecture is intended to host those varied services within a unified economic and security framework.

Protocol, Products, Economics

Subgraphs, the protocol’s original indexing standard, will remain foundational in 2026 but with a renewed focus on quality, cost efficiency and AI compatibility. The roadmap promises Horizon-based Subgraph services rolling to mainnet in Q1 2026 alongside a Rewards Eligibility Oracle (REO) designed to tie indexing rewards more closely to delivered value, and Indexing Payments (DIPs) to give consumers and partners more direct ways to compensate indexers. Perhaps most notable for downstream AI development is a suite of Subgraph integrations, including x402-compliant gateways and agent-to-agent (A2A) support, that will let AI agents query the network and pay per-query without separate setup keys, widening access for tools such as Claude and ChatGPT.

Beyond Subgraphs, the roadmap maps a clear product expansion. Substreams, already a high-performance streaming service used by DeFi and analytics platforms, is slated for broader execution-client support, a Horizon-based P2P data service MVP, and a sequence of integrity and rewards upgrades through 2026 aimed at reducing latency and improving validator selection. The Graph is also moving to offer a Token API, a production-ready feed of balances, transfers and NFT metadata, and Tycho, a Substreams-built service to simplify access to on-chain liquidity and DEX pricing for trading systems and market makers. Amp, meanwhile, is presented as a blockchain-native, SQL-first database targeted at institutions that need verifiable, auditable and low-latency analytics for regulated workflows.

Economically, the foundation of the plan is straightforward but consequential: more diversified data services should drive higher protocol activity, increased fee flows, potential token burns and greater staking demand. The roadmap outlines how issuance and rewards will be redirected across services, how REO will set performance-based eligibility standards, and how liquid staking and cross-chain bridges for GRT (already extended to networks like Arbitrum, Base and Avalanche) will help institutional participants allocate capital more efficiently. These measures, the authors say, aim to turn The Graph into a two-sided market where supply and demand reinforce each other over time.

Industry observers and outlets have already flagged the roadmap as a clear statement of intent: to move from a single-product protocol to an extensible data platform capable of meeting the specialized needs of developers, AI systems and financial institutions. If the timelines hold, with major milestones scheduled through Q4 2026, including the public Tycho beta, Substreams mainnet, Amp’s SQL platform work and liquid staking phases, The Graph could well cement its role as a critical data layer for web3 applications.

For developers and projects already built on Subgraphs, the roadmap promises smoother economics and better tooling; for enterprises, it signals a path to compliant, auditable data services; and for the broader ecosystem, it presents a simple thesis: more services, more usage, more value captured by the protocol. The blog is the first in a two-part series, with a follow-up post expected to unpack the Foundation’s strategic priorities and ecosystem initiatives to ensure the technical plans translate into on-chain reality. Readers who want to track progress are invited to follow the community calendar, sign up for the newsletter, and join upcoming quarterly calls for live updates.