The Graph has published a detailed technical roadmap for 2026, outlining an ambitious plan to transform from an indexing-focused network into a modular, multi-service data backbone for the on-chain economy. This follows the rollout of the Horizon upgrade in December 2025, framing the next year as one of product expansion, tighter economic alignment, and deeper enterprise readiness for developers, AI agents, and institutional users.
The roadmap is built on three interconnected layers: a protocol layer preserving permissionless security and payment mechanics, a product layer introducing purpose-built data services, and an economic layer designed to align incentives across Indexers, Delegators, and consumers. The Graph argues that as blockchains scale, no single indexing approach can satisfy diverse needs—from SQL-native analytics and low-latency streaming to compliance-ready, on-premises deployments for institutions.
At the product level, the roadmap details six specialized services. Subgraphs, the original indexing standard, will see a renewed focus on quality, cost efficiency, and AI compatibility in 2026, with Horizon-based services rolling to mainnet in Q1. A key integration includes x402-compliant gateways and agent-to-agent (A2A) support, allowing AI agents like Claude and ChatGPT to query the network and pay per-query without separate setup keys.
Beyond Subgraphs, the network will expand Substreams (a high-performance streaming service) with broader execution-client support and a Horizon-based P2P data service MVP. It will also offer a Token API for standardized token data, Tycho (a Substreams-built service for on-chain liquidity and DEX pricing), and Amp, a blockchain-native, SQL-first database targeted at institutions needing verifiable, auditable analytics for regulated workflows.
Economically, the foundation aims to 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, with a Rewards Eligibility Oracle (REO) designed to tie indexing rewards more closely to delivered value. It also highlights the role of liquid staking and cross-chain bridges for GRT (already extended to networks like Arbitrum, Base, and Avalanche) to help institutional participants allocate capital more efficiently.
Major milestones are scheduled through Q4 2026, including the public Tycho beta, Substreams mainnet, Amp’s SQL platform work, and liquid staking phases. The Graph's goal is to cement its role as a critical data layer for web3 applications, moving from a single-product protocol to an extensible data platform capable of meeting the specialized needs of developers, AI systems, and financial institutions.
